Perry: I Will Make Washington Incosequential

Excerpt from the announcement by Rick Perry of his candidacy for president:

We’re dismayed at the injustice that nearly half of all Americans don’t even pay any income tax. And you know the liberals out there are saying that we need to pay more. We are indignant about leaders who do not listen and spend money faster than they can print it.
In America, the people are not subjects of government. The government is subject to the people. And it is up to us, to this present generation of Americans, to take a stand for freedom, to send a message to Washington that we’re taking our future back from the grips of central planners who would control our healthcare, who would spend our treasure, who downgrade our future and micro-manage our lives.
It is time to limit and simplify the taxes in this country. We have to quit spending money we don’t have. We need to get our fiscal house in order and restore our good credit. And we will repeal this President’s misguided, one-size-fits-all government healthcare plan immediately.
We’ll create jobs. We’ll get America working again. We’ll create jobs and we’ll build wealth, we’ll truly educate and innovate in science, and in technology, engineering and math. We’ll create the jobs and the progress needed to get America working again.
And I’ll promise you this: I’ll work every day to make Washington, D.C. as inconsequential in your life as I can. And at the same time, we’ll be freeing our families and small businesses and states from the burdensome and costly federal government so those groups can create, innovate and succeed.

Click here to read Rick Perry's entire speech.

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How Romney Channels Ronald Reagan

Chris Cillizza ("The Fix") at the Washington Post has chronicled the manner in which Mitt Romney seems to have channeled Ronald Reagan. Cillizza has a very nice column on this but here's am excerpt showing how Romney's phrases (and ideas) match up with Reagan's: 

* On American exceptionalism: Romney — “I refuse to believe America is just another place on the flag”; Reagan — “I don’t agree that our nation must resign itself to inevitable decline, yielding its proud position to other hands.”

* On states’ rights: Romney — “This president’s answer to every problem is to take power from you”; Reagan — “The federal government has taken on functions it was never intended to perform and which it does not perform well.”

* On the economy: Romney — “With the economy in crisis, [Obama’s] answer is to borrow money we can’t afford and throw it at Washington bureaucrats and politicians”; Reagan — “The people have not created this disaster in our economy; the federal government has. It has overspent, overestimated, and over-regulated.”

* On the future: Romney — “The principles that made us a great nation and leader of the world have not lost their meaning...I believe in America”; Reagan — “I believe that you and I together can keep this rendezvous with destiny.”

Click here to read the entire column.

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Huckabee's Not Running: Who Really Benefits?

So, Mike Huckabee's not in the 2012 GOP presidential race,.
Now, the mainstream media will quickly say that this is a clear indication that the Big Guns -- the candidates who can really win -- are shying away from the race. And, as always, this will be spun as good news for Obama & Co. Expect death notices for the 2012 GOP to come fast and furious. Many will pronounce the race "over" before it even begins. And the pundits will say that the GOP lineup is composed of a bunch of crackpots and radicals -- second tier candidates.
But, we've still got a long way to go.
And some prospective candidates will actually beneifit from Huckabee not being in the race.
Here's who should be cheered by (and may even be boosted by) the news:
1) Mitch Daniels. The Governor of Indiana is now more likely to enter the contest and rapidly gather mainstream support. He must be considered a formidable contender.
2) Mitt Romney. Huckabee was the main impediment to a Romney nomination last time. With Huckabee out of the race, Romney should have an easier time of it.
3) Paul Ryan. No telling whether or not he's even interested, but Nice Guy Huckabee's departure makes room for other, more moderate, more common-sense conservatives like Ryan.
4) Sarah Palin. Huckabee boasted genuine conservative credentials. There is now no real, national conservative figure for the right to rally round -- not a serious one, anyway. Palin could decide that this opens the door for her.
5) Chris Christie. I know. I know. I know he says there's no way he will run. I believe him. Still, Chris Christie really doesn't have to run - or declare just yet. Because now Huckabee's departure sort of scrambles the race and allows Christie & Co. to keep their options open if they so desire.

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Trump And The Birther Issue: This Is Real

Donald Trump has latched onto the Obama place-of-birth issue and he doesn't seem to want to let go.
Trump is not a stupid man.
So, one is led to believe: He must know where he's going or what he's saying. Maybe he smells a rat.
On Fox and Friends, he's been riding the issue again.
Here's what he says:

“You have no doctors that remember, you have no nurses – this is the president of the United States – that remember. . . . Why can’t he produce a birth certificate? . . . I brought it up just routinely, and all of a sudden, a lot of facts are emerging and I’m starting to wonder myself whether he was born in this country?”

And Trump also says that Obama “spent millions of dollars trying to get away from this issue, millions of dollars in legal fees.”
Yes, Trump is a follow-the money kind of guy.
Are you surprised?

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