Obama's Troops Taking a Page from the Tea Party

Outrage over bonuses, bailouts and home foreclosures have prompted angry demonstrations at bank office buildings, bank conferences and even bankers' homes since the financial crisis began. With Wall Street reform proposals up for debate in Congress and bank shareholder meetings taking place later this month, protest organizers say they're getting ready to rally the troops again with several new demonstrations expected to draw thousands.

"There's something fundamentally wrong with an economic and political system that allows the big banks to rewrite all the rules to stay afloat while allowing entire communities to collapse in the wake of the disaster caused by Wall Street," Anna Burger, the secretary-treasurer of the Service Employees International Union, said on a conference call with reporters Thursday. "That's why we're escalating and expanding this campaign."

The SEIU, one of the most vocal critics of Wall Street and big U.S. banks, is part of a coalition of at least six groups -- including the AFL-CIO; the National People's Action, a racial and economic justice advocacy group; PICO National Network, a faith-based group; and North Carolina United Power, an organization of religious and community groups -- planning demonstrations across the country later this month. - ABC News Story

The Problem with this is, this is not a true uprising of the American People. This is drummed up by the Obama Administration and it's Allies in the Unions.

Obama Ends the Space Program in the US

When America's space shuttle program ends in September, the U.S. will be completely dependent on Russian rockets for launching men and women into space -- and bringing them back. But what will happen to America's astronauts if relations between the U.S. and Russia sour?

Until American companies come to market with commercial rockets and launch vehicles to replace the shuttle, the only nation ever to put a man on the Moon won't even be able to put a man into orbit. And that, experts tell FoxNews.com, has the potential to be a "tragic mistake," one that could hold America's astronauts in orbit hostage to the whims of the Kremlin.

"The U.S. has surrendered its advantage in space, conceding the high ground to others who are probably our enemies," said Jane Orient, a science policy expert and professor at the University of Arizona. "We are apparently leaving seven astronauts in space as hostages. Their loss would be a tragedy, but only a small part of the total disaster. It would symbolize the lack of respect that America has for its pioneers."

Former rocket scientist Shannah B. Godfrey is equally outspoken in her criticism and concerns, noting the need for constant training and condition to remain prepared for a crisis in space.

"Remember a few years ago when china 'accidentally' hit a satellite in space?" she asked, adding that "they were subtly sending us a message that they could cripple us instantly by taking out our satellites."

With NASA confirming the end of its Constellation program, the space agency will rely on others for travel. Here are the leading companies and their current generation space taxi systems.

" Think of the intelligence data that would be lost: GPS capabilities, cell phones, many other communications, etc. We may need to send people up in a hurry to replace, repair, and man satellites and other stations, too. I can’t fathom why we would put ourselves in such a vulnerable position."

NASA scoffs at concerns that Russia could strand American astronauts in space.

"There are always Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station, providing enough crew seats for a return to Earth," said NASA spokesman John Yembrick.

And some scientists agree that these fears are misplaced. Dr. Howard C. Hayden, an emeritus professor of physics at the University of Connecticut, believes there will be "no problem" in serving the International Space Station. "I can't imagine that the Russians would avoid a rescue mission simply because relations had soured," Hayden told FoxNews.com. "That would bring very loud international condemnation. They'd go out of their way to establish their moral high ground."

But others are less confident; they worry about problems that may result from relying too much upon others.

"The looming, multi-year gap in U.S. human spaceflight capability is a major embarrassment that represents a failure of U.S. leadership," John Lindner, a professor of physics and astronomy at The College of Wooster in Ohio, told FoxNews.com.

The Obama administration's decision to end the space shuttle program is causing great concern among politicians on both side of the aisle as well. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., has said that reliance on the Russians could last even longer than NASA anticipates, since replacements for the aging spacecraft are far from ready. It's a situation he finds "unacceptable." - FOX News Story

Supreme Court Justice Stevens Retires

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, the court's oldest member and leader of its liberal bloc, says he is retiring. President Obama now has his second high court opening to fill.

Stevens says he will step down when the court finishes its work for the summer in late June or early July.

His announcement Friday in Washington had been hinted at for months. It comes 11 days before his 90th birthday.

Stevens began signaling a possible retirement last summer when he hired just one of his usual complement of four law clerks for the next court term. He acknowledged in several interviews that he was contemplating stepping down and would certainly do so during Obama's presidency.

The timing of his announcement leaves ample time for the White House to settle on a successor and Senate Democrats, who control 59 votes, to conduct confirmation hearings and a vote. Republicans have not ruled out an attempt to delay confirmation.

The leading candidates to replace Stevens are Solicitor General Elena Kagan, 49, and federal appellate Judges Merrick Garland, 57, and Diane Wood, 59.

Stevens' departure will not change the court's conservative-liberal split because Obama is certain to name a liberal-leaning replacement. But the new justice is not likely to be able to match Stevens' ability to marshal narrow majorities in big cases. - FOX News Story

UN Workers in Haiti Live in Luxury Costing Millions

For the United Nations World Food Program, it was a moment of satisfaction: the U.N.'s flagship relief agency announced on its Web site on March 19 that two gleaming passenger ships had docked in ravaged Port au Prince harbor.

What the Web site announcement did not disclose was that the vessels were intended to house not homeless Haitian refugees, but employees of the U.N. itself. Nor did it publicize the cost of leasing the ships: $112,500 a day. Nor did it mention that one of the vessels is owned by a company closely linked to the government of Venezuelan strongman President Hugo Chavez.

Another thing not mentioned: Even U.N. staffers regularly refer to one of the ships as "the Love Boat."

Then the WFP apparently had second thoughts about the whole announcement.

A slideshow photo essay had shown the two vessels, the Ola Esmeralda and the Sea Voyager, at berths near the earthquake-shattered Haitian capital. Then the photos and the story disappeared, not only from the home page but apparently from the WFP's public news story Web archive. The official explanation from a WFP spokesman: "Photos, text and video material are regularly being added and removed from WFP's Web site as stories are refreshed, restructured and replaced."

Click here to see the original story.

- FOX News Story

Majority of Americans Feel Life Will Be Worse fo Next Generation

A majority of voters think life for the next generation of Americans will be worse than life today, according to a Fox News poll released Friday.

The poll also finds that three-quarters of voters think the United States is weaker today than it was 10 years ago. Moreover, almost all consider the current economic and unemployment conditions a “crisis.”

Click here for full poll results.

The 74 percent that thinks the country is weaker today includes sizable majorities of Democrats (61 percent), Republicans (87 percent) and independents (78 percent). Overall, far fewer voters -- about one in five -- believes America is stronger than a decade ago (19 percent). Democrats (31 percent) are three times more likely than Republicans and independents to feel that way.

Fifty-seven percent of voters think life for the next generation of Americans will be worse than life today. That’s up significantly from 39 percent who thought so in 2002. Thirty-two percent think life will be better, down from 41 percent. - FOX News Story

Obama Policies Not Selling in US

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 29% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -14. (see trends).

Today’s Approval Index rating shows that perceptions of the President have changed little since passage of the health care legislation and a positive report on job creation. On the morning that the health care legislation passed, the President’s Approval Index rating was at -16. Last Friday, just before the announcement of the largest net job creation figures in three years, the President’s Approval Index rating was at -10. Consumer and investor confidence. bounced in the days following the jobs report but that bounce has disappeared.

Fifty-five percent (55%) oppose the President’s new policy prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons in response to chemical or biological attacks on the United States. Fifty-three percent (53%) oppose a reduction in the in the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal. The president signed a treaty yesterday with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev pledging a near one-third reduction in the nuclear weapons arsenals of both countries. Just 31% of voters trust Russia to honor the new agreement.

- Rasmussen Reports Poll

Obama: Most Radical President Ever?

NEW ORLEANS -- Newt Gingrich made a rock star's entrance at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference Thursday night, entering to a standing ovation as the song "Eye of the Tiger" blared over the speakers and lights shined out over the crowd.

When Gingrich eventually got to the podium, he delivered a self-assured address peppered with historical allusions. Democrats in Washington, he said, had put together a "perfect unrepresentative left-wing machine dedicated to a secular socialist future."

Mr. Obama is "the most radical president in American history," Gingrich said. "He has said, 'I run a machine, I own Washington, and there is nothing you can do about it.'"

"What we need is a president, not an athlete," Gingrich said during a question and answer period after his speech. He added: "Shooting three point shots may be clever, but it doesn't put anybody to work."

Gingrich discussed passage of the health care bill, saying the "decisive" election of Sen. Scott Brown sent a message that Democrats decided to ignore in order to "ram through" the bill against the wishes of the American people.

"The longer Obama talks the less the American people believe him," Gingrich said, citing the decline in poll numbers for the health care bill as the president kept trying to sell it to the public. - CBS News Story

Democrat Stupak Retiring

Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak, the congressman who led anti-abortion rights Democrats in the House during health care negotiations, will retire this year, CBS News has learned. He is expected to announce his plans later this morning.

Had Stupak sought re-election, he would have faced challengers from both the left and the right backed by interest groups angered by Stupak's health care vote.

Stupak negotiated with Democratic leaders down to the eleventh hour for stricter abortion language in the health care bill, but he ultimately voted for it after President Obama agreed to sign an executive order assuring the new laws will keep taxpayer dollars from funding abortions.

That prompted the conservative Tea Party Express to launch a $250,000 ad campaign against Stupak this week. The group also scheduled a handful of stops on its bus tour in Stupak's district.

On the left, the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America has been working to defeat Stupak and instead elect his Democratic primary challenger Connie Saltonstall.

Like many other congressmen, Stupak received violent threats from citizens after his health care vote. However, the Michigan Democrat came under particularly intense scrutiny because of his role in the abortion debate. - CBS News Story

Liz Cheney Blasts Obama Policies

Liz Cheney, speaking in New Orleans tonight, departed from her usual criticism of President Obama's foreign policy to rebuke him for his cooling relationship with the Afghan leader, Hamid Karzai:

Afghan President Karzai, whose support we need if we are going to succeed in Afghanistan, is being treated to an especially dangerous and juvenile display from this White House. They dress him down publicly almost daily and refuse to even say that he is an ally. There is a saying in the Arab world: “It is more dangerous to be America’s friend than to be her enemy.” In the age of Obama, that is proving true.

Karzai hasn't found many defenders on either side of the aisle lately, and is seen increasingly in Washington as corrupt and feckless; he reportedly threatened recently to join forces with the Taliban. But Cheney's speeches have been a reliable predictor of the positions of Congressional Republicans, and she may be able to rally some to his side.

Cheney drew more applause for her complaint that Obama had allowed too much "daylight" between himself and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, and the crowd at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference cheered his decision to skip Obama's nuclear summit next week.

Cheney said after her speech that she was making the point that "if you're going to attack and criticize Karzai, you ought to do it in private," whereas Obama's treatment had been "publicly humiliating, publicly demeaning."

"Nothing good is going to come from going down that path," she said. "I'm by no means saying that he's perfect, [but] we need him."

Cheney cited a recent op-ed by Brookings scholar Michael O'Hanlon on the subject.

Dave Weigel has Cheney's full prepared remarks. - Politico Story

Democrats at 18 Year Low in Poll

The Democratic Party's favorability rating has dropped to the "lowest point in the 18-year history" of Gallup testing that number, the pollster reports. Just 41 percent of voters have a favorable impression of the Democratic Party, compared with 42 percent who have a positive view of the GOP. Democrats held an 11-point lead on this question when Gallup polled it late last summer. - Politico

Obama's Foreign Policy Must Not include Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has abruptly canceled his plans to attend President Barack Obama’s nuclear security summit next week, creating an embarrassing distraction on the eve of a high-profile meeting the White House has sought to carefully choreograph.

An Israeli official confirmed Netanyahu’s decision not to attend, which was revealed by Israeli media outlets Thursday afternoon Washington time. - Politico Story

Some Facts About the Obama Election

This is an email that I got and thought it was worth passing along:

Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul , Minnesota , points out some interesting facts concerning last November's Presidential election:

• Number of States won by:
• Obama: 19 McCain: 29
• Square miles of land won by:
• Obama: 580,000
• McCain: 2,427,000

Population of counties won by:
Obama: 127 million
McCain: 143 million
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by:
Obama: 13.2 McCain: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory McCain won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of the country.

Obama territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in low income tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."

Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.

Majority of Americans Favor Repeal of Health Care

Now that his health care initiative has passed, President Barack Obama has hit the campaign trail to sell it to voters. Early indications are that despite all the spin from both sides, hardly anybody is changing their mind.

Currently, two weeks after passage, 54% of the nation's likely voters still favor repealing the new law. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 42% oppose repeal. Those numbers virtually unchanged from last week and the week before. They include 43% who Strongly Favor repeal and 32% who Strongly Oppose it.

Repeal is favored by 80% of Republicans and 57% of unaffiliated voters. Sixty-eight percent (68%) of Democrats oppose repeal.

Fifty-two percent (52%) now say that the health care law is bad for the country. That’s little changed from 50% a week ago. Forty percent (40%) believe it is good for the country. - Rasmussen Reports Poll

"We now live in a country where Wall Street gets a bail out, the poor get a handout, and everybody else gets their wallet out,"

"We now live in a country where Wall Street gets a bail out, the poor get a handout, and everybody else gets their wallet out," said Pawlenty. He said that the rule of law is "under assault" by the Obama administration because of the individual mandate in the health care bill. - Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota

Rally for Bachmann in Minnesota Draws Big Crowd

Thousands of conservatives flocked to the Minneapolis convention center Wednesday afternoon for a rally on behalf of Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, two heroes of the Tea Party movement.

Though the rally was for Bachmann's reelection campaign, the controversial Minnesota lawmaker was the warm up act for Palin, who told an enthusiastic crowd that "the tea party is growin' and steamin.'"

Introducing Palin, Bachmann, clad in a striking yellow jacket, told the audience: "She is so much one of us."

Before Bachmann's speech, the two women emerged onstage together to the song "This One's for the Girls," by Martina McBride. In her remarks, Palin said studies had shown many of the Tea Party leaders are women.

Bachmann said more than 11,000 tickets had been distributed for the event, adding: "Take that liberals!"

She went on to criticize the Obama administration for its new nuclear weapons policy.

"So if in fact there is a nation who is compliant with all the rules ahead of time...if they fire against the United States, a biological weapon, a chemical weapon, or maybe a cyber attack, then we aren't going to be firing back with nuclear weapons," said Bachmann. "Doesn't that make us all feel safe?"

She stated her support for repealing the health care reform bill, saying "repeal is what this girl is going to be all about after November."

Bachmann also complained of an "infamous monstrosity of a vote to nationalize effectively health care in the United States of America."

Palin spent much of her speech lauding Bachmann for standing up to Democrats in Washington.

"What's wrong with being the party of no when you consider what Obama, Pelosi and Reid are trying to do to our country? So be it," she said. "Not when it violates our Constitution!"

Palin said it was good to be in Minnesota, where people hunt and fish and some are "clinging to your guns and religion like the rest of us."

She told the crowd that many in Washington are "addicted to opium -- o.p.m., other people's money."

She said a vote for Bachmann was a vote "for the principles that make this country great." Such a vote, she added, was a way to state that members of the military are "a force for good in this world and that is nothing to apologize for."

"What do you say, Minnesota?" asked Palin. "Will you do the rest of the nation a favor and reelect Michele Bachmann?"

Before Palin and Bachmann spoke, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who is widely expected to run for president, took the stage.

"We now live in a country where Wall Street gets a bail out, the poor get a handout, and everybody else gets their wallet out," said Pawlenty. He said that the rule of law is "under assault" by the Obama administration because of the individual mandate in the health care bill. - CBS News Story

Obama's Reckless Disregard for Our Safety

A favorite complaint from politicians is that their words or actions are taken out of context. Lest we be accused here, let's put President Obama's new policy of reducing America's nuclear arsenal and restricting its use into the context of his feeble efforts to stop Iran from getting the bomb.

The result: Only outlaw states and their terrorist clients will have nukes and be willing to use them. That's the full context of Obama's strange desire to abdicate America's role as the world's lone superpower.

Obama described the policy aims to The New York Times, which concluded his changes represented the middle ground between liberals and conservatives. Nonsense.

The honest-to-Chamberlain truth is that his goal of a nuke-free world is being pursued with a peace-at-any-price recklessness.

That's not a matter of left or right political philosophy. It's a childish fantasy that is dangerous to America's health.

It is one thing to hope the rest of the world will go along if we tie both hands behind our back. It is quite another to behave as though all mankind is already on board the Peace Train. - NY POST Story

Palin & Bachmann - "Take that Liberals!"

Two of the conservative movement’s biggest stars, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), lavished praise on each other Wednesday at a boisterous rally held at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Before a predominantly female crowd of more than 11,000 fans, the two high-profile Republicans ripped President Obama at an event that doubled as a fundraiser for Bachmann’s re-election campaign.

While Minnesota GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) opened for Palin and Bachmann, both quickly faded into the background, unable to compete with their wattage.

The governor and congresswoman were welcomed to the stage by an announcer who boomed: “Freedom loving Minnesotans, please welcome Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.”

The pair walked in together in front of a shrieking crowd that nearly drowned out the blaring country music—the Martina McBride anthem, “This one’s for the girls.”

In a reference to the crowd’s energy, Bachmann, who spoke first, exclaimed, “Take that liberals!” - Politico Story

Obama Advisor Looking to Get National Sales Tax - Tax on Middle Class?

Acknowledging it would be a highly unpopular move, White House economic adviser Paul Volcker said Tuesday the United States should consider imposing a "value-added tax" similar to those charged in Europe to help get the deficit under control.

A value-added tax is a national sales tax that, like state and city sales taxes, would be collected by retailers.

Volcker, a former Federal Reserve chairman, told a New York panel on the global financial crisis that such a tax is "not as toxic an idea as it has been in the past."

"If, at the end of the day, we need to raise taxes, we should raise taxes," he said.

He also said that Congress might also have to consider new taxes on carbon and energy.

A White House official asked for comment, said, "The president has passed historic tax cuts for middle-class families and continues to push for more tax cuts. The president is not proposing to cut the deficit at the expense of middle-class families."

The value-added tax suggestion was immediately met with outrage by Republicans.

"It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Obama White House would advocate a European-style tax to help finance their European-style government health-care plan," said Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. - FOX News Story

Obama Nuke Policy Sounds Alarms

President Obama's decision to reverse 65 years of U.S. nuclear weapons policy and drop most of the nation's deterrence capacity has alarmed critics who say they fear that the United States will now be more vulnerable to attack from would-be nuclear nations.

By changing the policy, the Obama administration hopes the United States can focus on stopping the spread of atomic weapons to terror groups such as Al Qaeda as well as halt North Korea's nuclear buildup and Iran's nuclear ambitions, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday in announcing the new Nuclear Posture Review.

But skeptics say the policy change will only embolden those groups and tie the U.S.' hands.

"I'm deeply concerned by some of the decisions made in the Nuclear Posture Review and the message this administration is sending to Iran, North Korea, and non-state actors who may seek to harm the United States or our allies," Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said in a written statement. "By unilaterally taking a nuclear response off the table, we are decreasing our options without getting anything in return and diminishing our ability to defend our nation from attack."

"We believe that preventing nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation should begin by directly confronting the two leading proliferators and supporters of terrorism, Iran and North Korea," said Arizona Republican Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl in a joint statement.

"The Obama administration's policies, thus far, have failed to do that and this failure has sent exactly the wrong message to other would be proliferators and supporters of terrorism," they said. - FOX News Story

WkiLeaks Selective Editing of Army Tape Doesn't Tell the Whole Story

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- WikiLeaks, the self-proclaimed "whistle-blowing" investigative Web site, released a classified military video Monday that it says shows the "indiscriminate slaying" of innocent Iraqis. Two days later, questions linger about just how much of the story WikiLeaks decided to tell.

At a press conference in Washington, D.C., WikiLeaks accused U.S. soldiers of killing 25 civilians, including two Reuters journalists, during a July 12, 2007, attack in New Baghdad. The Web site titled the video "Collateral Murder," and said the killings represented "another day at the office" for the U.S. Army.

The military has always maintained the attacks near Baghdad were justified, saying investigations conducted after the incident showed 11 people were killed during a "continuation of hostile activity." The military also admits two misidentified Reuters cameramen were among the dead.

WikiLeaks said on Monday the video taken from an Army helicopter shows the men were walking through a courtyard and did nothing to provoke the attack. Their representatives said when the military mistook cameras for weapons, U.S. personnel killed everyone in sight and have attempted to cover up the murders ever since.

The problem, according to many who have viewed the video, is that WikiLeaks appears to have done selective editing that tells only half the story. For instance, the Web site takes special care to slow down the video and identify the two photographers and the cameras they are carrying.

However, the Web site does not slow down the video to show that at least one man in that group was carrying a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, a clearly visible weapon that runs nearly two-thirds the length of his body.

WikiLeaks also does not point out that at least one man was carrying an AK-47 assault rifle. He is seen swinging the weapon below his waist while standing next to the man holding the RPG. - FOX News

Mr. Obama, you are a newcomer - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

(AP) Iran's hard-line president on Wednesday ridiculed President Barack Obama's new nuclear strategy, which turns the U.S. focus away from the Cold War threats and instead aims to stop the spread of atomic weapons to rogue states or terrorists.

Mr. Obama on Tuesday announced the new strategy, including a vow not to use nuclear weapons against countries that do not have them. Iran, however, was a notable exception to that pledge, along with North Korea, because Washington accuses them of not cooperating with the international community on nonproliferation standards.

A Layman's Guide to the Nuclear Posture Review
Obama Goes Nuclear
Giuliani Calls Nuclear Policy "Left-Wing Dream"
Nuclear Posture Review Report(PDF)

Concerns over Iran's nuclear program figure prominently in the new U.S. strategy. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the focus would now be on terror groups such as al Qaeda as well as North Korea's nuclear buildup and Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad derided Mr. Obama over the plan in a speech Wednesday to a crowd of thousands in the country's northwest.

"American materialist politicians, whenever they are beaten by logic, immediately put their finger on the trigger like cowboys," he said.

"Mr. Obama, you are a newcomer (to politics). Wait until your sweat dries and get some experience. Be careful not to read just any paper put in front of you or repeat any statement recommended," Ahmadinejad said in the speech, aired live on state TV. "(American officials) bigger than you, more bullying than you, couldn't do a damn thing, let alone you." - CBS News Story

Majority of Americans Think Media Bias is a Big Problem in Politics

Voters agree that big money talks in politics but apparently not as loudly as big media.

Fifty-five percent (55%) of U.S. voters continue to think that media bias is a bigger problem in politics today than big campaign contributions, identical to the finding in August 2008.

Thirty-two percent (32%) say big contributions are the bigger problem, but that’s down four points from the previous survey. Thirteen percent (13%) more are not sure. - Rasmussen Reports Poll

Republicans Hold 9 Point Advantage in Poll

Republican candidates now hold a nine-point lead over Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% would vote for their district's Republican congressional candidate, up from 46% last week, while 38% would opt for his or her Democratic opponent, down a point from the previous survey.

Last week, just after Congress' passage of the national health care plan, voter support for Democrats reached its highest level measured since early December 2009, while GOP support matched the highest level measured since weekly tracking began in early April 2007. - Rasmussen Reports Poll

Black's Take Heat for Tea Party Involvement

ALBANY, N.Y. – They've been called Oreos, traitors and Uncle Toms, and are used to having to defend their values. Now black conservatives are really taking heat for their involvement in the mostly white tea party movement — and for having the audacity to oppose the policies of the nation's first black president.

"I've been told I hate myself. I've been called an Uncle Tom. I've been told I'm a spook at the door," said Timothy F. Johnson, chairman of the Frederick Douglass Foundation, a group of black conservatives who support free market principles and limited government.

"Black Republicans find themselves always having to prove who they are. Because the assumption is the Republican Party is for whites and the Democratic Party is for blacks," he said.

Johnson and other black conservatives say they were drawn to the tea party movement because of what they consider its commonsense fiscal values of controlled spending, less taxes and smaller government. The fact that they're black — or that most tea partyers are white — should have nothing to do with it, they say.

"You have to be honest and true to yourself. What am I supposed to do, vote Democratic just to be popular? Just to fit in?" asked Clifton Bazar, a 45-year-old New Jersey freelance photographer and conservative blogger. - FOX News Story

Tea Party Gains Momentum in Mainstream

Tea Partiers have been dismissed as a fringe, but two new polls suggest the conservative movement might be going mainstream.

A Rasmussen poll released Monday found more Americans identify with the Tea Party groups than with President Obama.

According to the survey, 48 percent of voters said the average Tea Party activist is more aligned with their views on major issues than the president. Forty-four percent said Obama's views are closer to theirs.

That came on top of a USA Today/Gallup poll that found more than a quarter of Americans affiliate themselves with the Tea Party movement.

The poll of 1,033 adults, conducted March 26-28, found 28 percent of people call themselves Tea Party supporters, while 26 percent call themselves opponents.

The survey also found that Tea Party supporters are not disproportionately dominated by any one demographic group. The characteristics of Tea Party supporters -- in age, education, income and race -- roughly follow the characteristics of the nation as a whole.

The Gallup poll had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

The Rasmussen poll of 1,000 likely voters was taken April 2-3. It had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. - FOX News Story

Democrats Scramble in Special Election Showdown

The prospect of losing two House seats in back-to-back special elections next month has sparked a vigorous, behind-the-scenes Democratic effort, designed to avoid an outcome that could lead to panic among the rank and file and stall the momentum generated by the recent passage of landmark health care legislation.

The trajectories of the two elections, which will take place in Pennsylvania and Hawaii over a span of four days next month, have raised alarm bells among top party officials who fear that a pair of defeats in the Democratic-held seats could amount to a Massachusetts Senate sequel, overshadowing President Barack Obama’s health care reform plan and reinforcing a narrative that the Democratic Party is on track for severe losses in November.

According to sources familiar with the effort, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already assembled teams of top party operatives — including veteran pollster John Anzalone and longtime ad man Saul Shorr to work on the Pennsylvania campaign, and media strategist David Dixon, who signed on to work the Hawaii race — to oversee what are expected to be large and expensive independent expenditure operations. - Politico Story

Harry Reid Tries to Sell Health Care to Greta

Dems Who Voted for Health Care Hiding from Voters

CANTON, Ohio — Before Congress left town for the spring recess, Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged rank-and-file Democrats to return home and tout the benefits of the landmark health care bill.

But instead of barnstorming their districts celebrating their historic accomplishment, some have been content to remain beneath the radar, reluctant to advertise their role in passing the centerpiece of President Barack Obama’s domestic policy agenda.

Rep. John Boccieri, who represents this conservative area in northeast Ohio, is one of them.

After announcing his intention to vote for the bill in a news conference televised live on CNN two days before the vote, Obama lauded his political courage. The president noted that the freshman Democrat sat “in as tough a district as there is,” a shout-out that prompted a standing ovation from the House Democratic Caucus.

For the past week, however, Boccieri has gone dark, surfacing only last Wednesday night — in New York City — at a cocktail party fundraiser to benefit his reelection campaign. Otherwise, the congressman had no public schedule. A spokeswoman said he was focused on “constituent services.” - Politico Story

NJ Democrat Fights Recall in Court

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) is asking the New Jersey Supreme Court to stop a tea party-led effort to recall him from office.

His office announced Monday evening that Menendez was appealing to the state's highest court to rule that the recall effort is unconstitutional since the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly allow for the recall of sitting U.S. senators.

"Mainstream New Jerseyans believe deeply in the U.S. Constitution, which for more than 200 years has made ours the greatest form of government in world history,” said Afshin Mohamadi, a Menendez spokesman. “This attack on the Constitution undermines our uniquely American system of democracy and will be contested. It would be deceiving to the electorate to pursue a process that ultimately would be nullified by the Constitution.”

The move comes several weeks after a state appeals court—citing New Jersey law allowing for the recall of statewide elected officials—ruled that the case could move forward.

“The lower court declined to decide the fundamental matter at hand, and this is why we are appealing and hope that the New Jersey Supreme Court addresses this important issue,” said Mohamadi. “In the meantime, Senator Menendez continues to be focused squarely on his work in the Senate to help create jobs, ease the burden on family budgets and provide tax relief to those who need it most." - Politico Story

Investigating the Back Room Deals in Health Care

A top House Republican is investigating the legislative deals the White House and Democratic leadership cut with special interest groups while crafting the new health care reform law. And California Rep. Darrell Issa is not happy with the American Medical Association’s terse response to his questions.

Issa, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee, sent letters to five special interest groups, most of which supported reform and cut deals with the Democrats.

“Contrary to the president’s oft-stated goal of transparency, the rank-and-file members of the Democratic Caucus and the entire Republican Conference have not had the opportunity to participate in the negotiations between the Democratic leadership, the White House and health care stakeholders. This is troubling to members of Congress who value transparency in government,” Issa wrote to the AMA, AFSCME, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Hospital Association and PhRMA.

Issa asked the groups to detail the health care meetings they had with White House and Democratic congressional leadership officials, what benefits they won from the negotiations and what they were required to provide in return. - Politico Story

Obama Approval Falls to Lowest Yet

(CBS) After passing health care reform and signing the bill into law, President Barack Obama has suffered a drop in approval in the past week. A CBS News poll shows that Mr. Obama's approval rating has dropped to 44 percent. Before health care passed, Mr. Obama's approval was at 49 percent.

The new number is Mr. Obama's lowest yet.

Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson told "Face the Nation" anchor Bob Schieffer that Mr. Obama is "in a pickle."

Dyson said that Mr. Obama "has to recognize he's governing all of America, has to give in and make concessions […] and head toward the middle as he's done after winning a perceived left victory [in health care]."

He added, "The reality is [Mr. Obama]'s trying to balance it out. He doesn't want to give in to the 'Tea Party,' but he sees legitimate points and anger and has to govern according to a vision for which he was called to office which is to say reform health care and student loans. - CBS News Story

Obama Takes on Talk Shows

Barack Obama’s tongue-lashing of conservative talk show titans Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck this week could prove a winner for both sides.

The president gets a boost with his base and may win over some independents by tying his political opponents to two of the nation's most polarizing figures.

But the conservative talkers get presidential confirmation that they're at the center of the political debate — together with a collection of sound bytes that will fuel their shows for days to come.

In an interview that aired on CBS’s "Early Show" Friday, Obama said the rhetoric employed by the chief chatterers of the conservative movement is “troublesome” — and he cast Limbaugh and Beck as demagogues who cash in on the fears of Americans struggling through a rough economy.

Limbaugh fired back in an e-mail to POLITICO, arguing that his ratings are just fine in good times and bad — and accusing Obama of "purposely" governing "against the will of the people."

It's not the first time a president has gone after conservative talk radio; in the days after the Oklahoma City bombing, President Bill Clinton said that "promoters of paranoia" on the airwaves "must know that their bitter words can have consequences."

And it's not Obama's first round in the ring, either.

The president's shots at Limbaugh and Beck are just the latest sequel in what is becoming a franchise of attacks on conservative media outlets and personalities deemed hostile — and one in which a good portion of the box office returns are certain to accrue to the president’s handpicked villains. - Politico Story

Obama Pulling out Every Weapon to Save Mass. Governor

President Barack Obama raised $2.5 million for the Democratic National Committee Thursday night, but his trip to Boston had another, less publicized purpose — saving Deval Patrick.

Few politicians are as close to Obama as the Massachusetts Democratic governor or have deeper ties to the president and his core team of advisers.

And almost no one faces a tougher reelection battle this year than Patrick, whose disapproval ratings would be considered near-terminal if not for the three-way race that he currently finds himself in.

As a result, the White House is looking to every weapon in its arsenal to help Patrick win a second term.

Patrick has been at the White House at least a half-dozen times in the past year, whether he’s lunching with senior adviser David Axelrod, dropping by the Oval Office for a chat or attending Obama’s first state dinner.

The Massachusetts governor is the only Democrat besides Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) to get the president to headline a personal fundraiser for him more than a year before the November election. Obama’s former campaign manager, David Plouffe, has been consulting for Patrick’s 2010 bid since last spring, and Axelrod also has lent his expertise. - Politico Story

Obama Giving China Free Ride in Exchange for Iran Sanctions?

A prominent Democratic senator on Sunday suggested that the Obama administration was letting China slide on possible currency manipulation in exchange for help on Iran sanctions -- something the White House flatly denied.

Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter, reacting to news that the White House was delaying its report to Congress on whether China is manipulating its currency, told "Fox News Sunday" he's concerned the administration could be missing a chance to help U.S. workers get on a level playing field.

The report was originally scheduled for release by April 15, around the time Chinese President Hu Jintao is visiting Washington for nuclear talks.

"I'm not too happy about a delay," Specter said. "We have a real problem with the Chinese. They are very shrewd and customarily they outmaneuver us. They take our jobs. They take our money and then they lend it back to us and own a big part of America. So let's watch exactly ... what's happening."

Critics say the administration is delaying the report on exchange rates because it wants Chinese cooperation for new sanctions on Iran, and doesn't want to alienate Beijing. - FOX News Story