Politics — Barack Obama
- Obama to propose combining agencies to shrink federal government – The Washington Post.
President Obama will ask Congress on Friday for the power to shrink the federal government, proposing a first step of combining several trade- and commerce-related agencies under a plan that the White House said could eliminate more than 1,000 jobs and save $3 billion over 10 years.
A senior administration official said the White House announcement by Obama is follow-through on his promise during last year’s State of the Union address to create a leaner, more efficient bureaucracy.
Obama will propose combining the functions and staff of six trade- and commerce-related agencies and offices: the Small Business Administration; the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; the Export-Import Bank; the Overseas Private Investment Corporation; and the Trade and Development Agency. The move would ease the regulatory burden on businesses and save money by eliminating duplicative functions such as human resources, the White House official said.
- Chris Christie praises Obama political skills – Tim Mak – POLITICO.com
- Gallup: Slightly more want Obama to set nation’s course over GOP – POLITICO.com
- Poll: Obama edges out Hill GOPers – MJ Lee – POLITICO.com
Politics — Mitt Romney
- Balloon Juice » Citizens United is Kicking Romney’s Ass
- David Shuster says Mitt Romney’s latest ad is evidence of his own ‘corporate welfare’ hypocrisy – Countdown with Keith Olbermann // Current TV
- Robert Reich (The Bain of Capitalism)
Politics
- The Immoral Minority: Sarah Palin asks “Are we a bunch of numbskulls?” Anybody want to take that?
- Time to Deregulate Organic | Experts’ Corner | Big Think
- Robert Reich (Why the Republican Crackup is Bad For America)
Politics — Stephen Colbert!
- Stephen Colbert to explore run for president in South Carolina – Mike Allen – POLITICO.com
NEW YORK — Stephen Colbert announced on “The Colbert Report” that he is exploring a presidential run in South Carolina, and made it legal by handing control of his super PAC to Jon Stewart in the opening segment of Thursday night’s show.
“I am proud to announce that I am forming an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for my possible candidacy for president of the United States of America of South Carolina,” Colbert said during the Thursday evening show, several hours before airtime on Comedy Central.
“This is a difficult decision. I’ve talked it over with my money. I’ve talked it over with my spiritual adviser.”Colbert hands over Super PAC
Trevor Potter, the former Federal Election Commission chairman, acts as Colbert’s lawyer and was a guest on the show. “You cannot be a candidate and run a super PAC,” Potter said. “That would be coordinating with yourself.”
Colbert’s super PAC is Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow. His 501(c)4 is the Colbert Super PAC SHH [as in “shh”] Institute.
The stunt was part of Colbert’s continuing effort to expose what he considers absurdities in U.S. election law.
- First Read – Stephen Colbert explains difference between PACs and Super PACs
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
- Stephen Colbert isn’t really running for president – Political Hotsheet – CBS News
- Can Stephen Colbert Really Run for President? | Is Stephen Colbert an Official Candidate In South Carolina? | LiveScience
Media
Serial idiot, liar, decietful propaganist and Brietbart hack James O’Keefe is at it again:
- James O’Keefe’s Weak New Hampshire Exposé Could Get Him Arrested — Daily Intel
The Alfred E. Newman of investigative journalism, James O’Keefe, staged his latest undercover video at the New Hampshire primary, where members of his team attempted to expose voter fraud by obtaining ballots for dead people. Although they did not cast any votes, Think Progress notes that O’Keefe’s crew may have inadvertently committed voter fraud themselves by, in the words of the law, “[making] a false material statement regarding his or her qualifications as a voter to an election officer.” New Hampshire law also requires both parties to consent before filming their communication — and the election officials in O’Keefe’s video don’t appear to have given permission — so state officials are calling for the vigilante filmmaker to be to prosecuted.
The state’s Attorney General has said they are “undertaking a comprehensive review of voting procedures with the Secretary of State,” but local mayor Ted Gatsas said of the O’Keefe team, “They should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Nashua City Clerk Paul Bergeron added, “People who pull stunts like this should be prosecuted,” and told Think Progress that the video “is a crime, regardless of what the intent might be. What they did was wrong.”
O’Keefe received three years probation after pleading guilty to entering U.S. property under false pretenses in 2010, when he attempted to infiltrate the office of Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu. The potential trouble in New Hampshire doesn’t even seem worth it: Voter fraud, as Think Progress also notes, is almost nonexistent.
- New Hampshire Officials Call For O’Keefe’s Assistants To Be ‘Arrested And Prosecuted’ | ThinkProgress
- Democurmudgeon: James O’Keefe Commits 12 Counts of Voter Fraud!! How dumb is that?
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