Round 3 recap: It seems the #1 seeds are the heavy favorites no matter where they go. (1)Marco Rubio still pulled out a hefty 81-19 victory over (2)Jim DeMint. The closest round was a 16 point win (58-42) in the (1)Rob Portman vs (3)Jeb Bush match-up.
The #1 seeds have plowed through 3 rounds unscathed, now something will have to give. Put in your votes below, and let us know why you chose your picks in the comments. Have fun!
Please note the following:
-This is not an official Mitt Romney website
-This poll is simply for fun and has no bearing on the real selection
-We don’t seek to influence Governor Romney and his campaign with the outcome of our poll
I wrote about April’s pitiful job report when it was released on Friday; but there’s more…
Not only did 342,000 frustrated Americans drop out of the labor force last month – because they couldn’t find work – 65.8% of them felt so desperate they pulled a Hail Mary. 225,000 workers applied for Social Security disability benefits in April. And, 40 % of those applicants were accepted:
Almost 90,000 workers enrolled in the program in April, pushing the total for new enrollees above 333,000 in the first four months of the year.
Add in spouses and dependents, and the number of beneficiaries added to the program so far this year climbs to 539,000.
As IBD reported recently, more than 5 million workers and their families have enrolled in the disability program since President Obama took office.
● The Preezy of the United Steezy’s own economic advisers were sounding the ‘disability warning bell’ last fall:
The Obama administration’s economic advisers warned in a report last fall that the mass exodus of workers who can’t find a job onto the disability rolls poses a long-term risk to the economy. Once enrolled, they almost never return to the active workforce. This can, the report said, result “in a loss to society of the economic contribution those workers could have made.”
Not only do those on our swelling disability rolls not contribute to the economy, working Americans end up paying for their retirement.
Keep in mind if the labor force had NOT declined, April unemployment would be at 8.3%, instead of 8.1% as reported. If our labor force participation rate was the same as it was in June 2009, unemployment would be at 11%. Factor in the underemployed – those working part-time who want full-time work and the number is around 17%.
● Yesterday, President Obama launched his campaign for four more years in the White House by exhorting Americans to not ask if they are better off than they were four years ago, but – if they reelect him – how they’re going to be tomorrow. Today, Romney for President took a good punch at Obama’s reelection rhetoric in a new video ad. Here is Silence:
● An article in Friday’s Wall Street Journal examines some of the reasons behind America’s rapidly shrinking labor force:
[T]he recent fall is so sharp and surprising that aging baby boomers can’t be the entire reason. Another explanation is surely the slow pace of job growth, which means fewer opportunities to entice what economists call the “marginal” worker back into the labor force. Older workers who’ve lost a longtime job may find themselves unemployable in a rapidly changing economy. They may retire earlier than they might have preferred.
Second earners in a household may also not find work at a high enough wage to justify the costs of commuting or child care. In a recovery that is really cooking, like the Reagan boom, these workers find that the opportunities reward more work. In today’s mediocre expansion, not so much.
That’s especially true when stagnant wage growth means less reward for the effort. Over the past 12 months, average weekly earnings are up 2.1% but inflation has climbed by 3%. Real pay is rising far too slowly, which makes work less attractive.
The Federal Reserve has maintained a super-easy monetary policy in the name of reducing the jobless rate and to reflate the housing market, but this has contributed to higher food and energy prices and thus reduced real income gains. This too is a disincentive to work and undermines one ostensible purpose of the Fed’s easing.
● What begins as a helping hand morphs into a hammock…
Another culprit may be the rapid expansion of government transfer payments during this recession. Medicaid, disability payments and food stamps have all risen sharply in recent years, starting under President Bush and accelerating under President Obama.
This is a particular disincentive to low-skilled workers to enter the job market because in some high-benefit states they need to earn $30,000 or more to compensate for the benefits they lose. This is an insidious high marginal tax rate that deters many from ever acquiring the basic skills and experience they need to move up the income ladder.
● An important reason why this nation needs PRESIDENT Romney:
Reversing this falling labor force trend is a major policy challenge, especially as more of the baby boomers retire. The U.S. will need more workers to finance more retirees. This will require faster growth and more job creation than we’ve seen in this disappointing recovery.
The tragedy of the Obama Administration is that it put the political pursuit of its social welfare agenda above policies to nurture a strong, durable economic expansion. Americans are paying for that mistake in less work and less reward for the work they get. The priority of the next Administration must be to reverse the decline.
(emphasis added to articles)
Obama believes he deserves four more years…
No!
America deserves jobs.
America deserves a leader who will end the suffering.
FOX News’ Bret Baier sat down with the fifth potential vice presidential candidate in his series titled Running With Romney. Condoleeza Rice, former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State to President George W. Bush, was featured today. Her thoughts :
SAN JOSE — Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said again this afternoon that she has no interest in being a candidate for vice president, but she had some advice for Mitt Romney about the kind of person he might choose.
“Somebody who actually wants to run for office would be a good start,” Rice said.
The Republican told a conference of business leaders hosted by the Bay Area Council in San Jose that Romney would make a “fine president.”
“I think he’ll find a fine vice president, too,” she added.
(emphasis added)
Part 5 – Condoleeza Rice, Fmr Natl Security Advisor & Secty of State
After a long hiatus I am finally ready to put up round 3 of our Veep Madness poll. I have to apologize, but when real-life work calls I have to submit, and this is the busiest time of year for my work. I will make the final rounds of the tournament move much faster; round 4 will start on Tuesday, and the final round will begin next Friday.
Here’s the current bracket with Round 2 results included:
Round 2 recap: Most of the higher seeds won unscathed again this round, with only 2 minor upsets (according to my seeding.) Blowout victories were achieved a second time for (1) Chris Christie, (1) Paul Ryan and (1) Marco Rubio. Though they didn’t dominate quite to the extent that they did in round one I think all 3 faced must more staunch opponents, making their big wins even more impressive. We had the closest win in any competition yet with (2) Jim DeMint squeaking out a 51-49 victory over (3) Mitch Daniels by only a 22 vote margin.
Round 3: The Elite 8 contests feature two #1 vs #2 match-ups, and two #1 vs #3 match-ups. Will any of the #1 seeds fall or will all the #1′s be division champs? Which competition will be the tightest race? Will there be any blowouts? Feel free to comment below.
Please note the following:
-This is not an official Mitt Romney website
-This poll is simply for fun and has no bearing on the real selection
-We don’t seek to influence Governor Romney and his campaign with the outcome of our poll
Fmr MA Governor Mitt Romney and VA Governor Bob McDonnell (Photo / AP)
◆
Today Bret Baier’s fourth installment of veep series Running With Romney aired on FOX News. Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA) was the topic:
McDonnell joined America’s Newsroom this morning to weigh in on the visit. “We’re excited,” he said. “[Romney’s] talking about jobs and energy, and I want to be there to help him.”
[...]
He added that the only thing he can do is help the voters see who should be the president, because 30 to 35 percent of the Independent voters in Virginia will determine the outcome of the election.
McDonnell plans to help Romney in the next six months by talking about jobs, energy and taking care of America’s veterans.
“Mitt Romney is the guy to do it,” he said. “If we don’t convince people that he’s the best one for jobs with an 8.2 percent unemployment rate and debt reduction with a $15 trillion debt, we’re not going to have a stronger country going forward. So, that’s the role that I’m playing right now.”
Governor Mitt Romney released the following statement:
“Today I join with people of all faiths to express devotion and gratitude to the Lord, who has so richly blessed us. On this National Day of Prayer, we are reminded of those who have sacrificed so much to give us the freedom to worship freely and to speak openly about our faith. As I travel across this country every day, I see God’s grace and faithfulness in the lives of so many Americans who share their stories. And it is my prayer that as we strive to better America and to protect her from those who would do her harm, the Lord will keep us strong and free and we will remain one nation under God.”
UPDATE – National Day of Prayer 2012 theme: One Nation Under God
“To win this fight for America’s future, we will have to rise above politics. When members of SEAL Team VI boarded their helicopters, they did so not as Republicans or Democrats or independents, they did so as Americans. And the final image that Osama bin Laden took with him straight to Hell was not a party symbol – not a Republican elephant or a Democratic donkey – but an American flag on the shoulder of one straight-shooting U.S. Navy SEAL.” ~ Mitt Romney, August 2011
Rep Paul Ryan (R-WI) answers a question as Governor Mitt Romney looks on during a Romney rally at an oil company in Milwaukee, WI. April 2, 2012 (Photo Steve Senne/AP)
◆
The third segment of Running With Romney, a series of potential VP interviews by FOX News’ Bret Baier (Special Report) aired today. The spotlight was on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan:
At age 28, Ryan was elected to Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district but he quickly moved up to become the youngest chairman of the House Budget Committee in 2011. Speaking about his budget plan, Ryan says, “We knew that if we offered solutions, that they were going to demagogue those solutions. But we feel that we have a moral and a legal obligation, that if we don’t like the direction the president’s taking the country, we should do something about it.”
Republican strategist Mike Murphy noted a downside if Romney chooses Ryan as his vice presidential nominee, saying, “Paul Ryan budget genius, very important in the Congress, good guy, Romney’s close to him, talks to him a lot. The downside is you nominate Paul, one, you take a real player out of the Congress. And two, you’re going to re-litigate the Ryan plan which has policy advantages but some political baggage.”
Ryan reiterated what he has previously stated when asked about becoming Romney’s running mate. “If they ask me to consider it, then I’ll consider it. But that’s months away from that kind of decision being made as far as I know. I like my job. I think I can make a big difference doing what I’m doing.”
Part 3 – Congressman Paul Ryan
View additional segments by clicking on names below:
Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) introduces Mitt Romney at a campaign rally in Cincinnati, Ohio. Feb 20, 2012 (Photo by Mark Lyons/Getty Images)
◆
As part of a series of potential VP interviews FOX News’ Bret Baier (Special Report) is promoting, the second installment of Running With Romney aired tonight. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) was showcased:
Republican strategist Mike Murphy weighed in on the possibility of a Romney-Portman ticket. “He can govern, he gets along well with Mitt Romney, and he’s from Ohio a very vital state… And he’s somebody the press knows and has vetted so you don’t get the shock effect.”
Portman was known as the “budget hawk” when he served under the Bush administration. Critics say bringing up those years will not be helpful in the current election cycle. He defended his credentials, saying, “I came in as you know in 2006, 2007 and the budget that I proposed actually was a balanced budget … So the year that I was there, 2007, the deficit was about 1/8 of the deficit today.”
Disclaimer: MittRomneyCentral.com is a pure grassroots website. It is not paid for, endorsed by, or affiliated in any way with Governor Mitt Romney or his official campaign.
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