Potential Dark Horse: Herman Cain in 2012

Former Congressman, NBA Star Tom McMillen Fights for Kids' Health
From the NBA to Congress, Tom McMillen is now combining two passions as chairman of the National Foundation on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. On "Washington Unplugged" Thursday, the former Democratic Congressman from Maryland praised the passage of the National Foundation on Physical Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Act. McMillen told CBS News Congressional Correspondent Nancy Cordes it was a slow battle that began with the goal to "create a foundation that we could use the resources of ...

Trivia Tidbit of the Day: Part 911 -- Taxpayer Funding For Planned Parenthood & ACORN.
The ACORNS & Planned Parenthoods Of The World Have No Business Receiving Government Funding - In April of 2008, not long after the Texas Presidential Prima-Caucus, I wrote: In a recent GOP precinct meeting on Election Day last month here in Texas, a woman brought a resolution urging our elected officials to stop doling out public funds (right now, 336 million dollars per year) to Planned Parenthood. Astonishingly, the precinct meeting attendees voted against this measure by a narrow ma...

Herman Cain: The Right Wing Sleeper Candidate in 2012?
Politico’s Ben Smith discussed today the unforeseen possibility that Right Wing Activist Herman Cain could be a surprise Republican Candidate for president, after he bested all other Republicans in an online Straw Poll conducted by the conservative blog RedState. Cain, an African American businessman and radio Talk Show host, even topped Sarah Palin, who came in second, to be the favorite of the Right Wing blogosphere. Erick Erickson of RedState writes, “I like Herman Cain and, thoug...

Tea Party and CNN to Host 2011 Republican Presidential Debate in Florida
CNN Political Director Sam Feist called the "Tea Party movement a fascinating, diverse, Grassroots force that already has drastically changed the country's political landscape." The movement's impact on the political balance is indisputable. Tea party-backed Candidates, assailing President Obama's policies and calling for smaller government and less spending, had considerable success in the Nov. 2 election. The tea party and allies like Sarah Palin can rightly claim credit for playing a signific...

Herman Cain mania
There's a place in every primary for an ideological purist and debate champ — think Dennis Kucinich — and radio talker Herman Cain seems to be the early front-runner for that slot on the Republican side in 2012. Cain, an African-American conservative with a real Private Sector background — he was a Pillsbury executive and then took over and ran Godfathers Pizza — is a regular on the conservative event circuit and a compelling speaker, though he's little known outside co...

After 25 years, a shambolic farewell for CNN's talk show King
The King treatment ... Bill Clinton was one of thousands to sit across from King over the past 25 years. Photo: AP NEW YORK: A string of guests, including two presidents, turned out to bid the talk-show host Larry King farewell as he pulled down the curtain on his CNN program after 25 years. The Best is Yet to Come, at least that was the message from Tony Bennett as he serenaded the 77-year-old with that song in a remote feed from Louisiana. Once the dominant voice in cable-television news, King...

Is a Tory majority even possible?
Last updated Friday, Dec. 17, 2010 11:57AM EST After months of stagnation, Conservative gains in some polls released over the last few weeks have again raised the possibility of a Tory majority. But an analysis of the ridings the Conservatives might target to attain or surpass the elusive 155-seat mark needed shows just how difficult it will be for Stephen Harper to reach his goal. In the 2008 election, the Conservatives were 12 seats short of a majority. After a few Resignations, by-elections ...

The Failure of the Omnibus and the End of Appropriation
It's impossible to understand what Sen. Harry Reid did tonight, in pulling the omnibus spending bill from the Senate floor, without considering what has happened to the political power of appropriators in 2010. - The chairmen of the House Appropriations, Transportation, Budget, and Armed Services committees either retired or lost their seats. Blanche Lincoln, having taken over the Agriculture committee in the Senate, was defeated. - Republicans buckled and agreed to a Caucus-wide ban on earmark ...

The end of an era: Larry King signs off after 25 years of hosting his chat show on CNN
He has interviewed presidents, royalty and news makers, but Thursday, after 25 years, Larry King was set to broadcast the final episode his CNN chat show Larry King Live. Amid heavy security, King, 77, was scheduled to arrive at CNN's Hollywood studios late Thursday afternoon. 'Larry King has transformed himself into a household name. An indisputable legend in both the entertainment and media industries, King has changed the concept of the Talk Show within his lifetime,' a proclamation signed by...

Tom Shales - With a star-studded guest list, 'Larry King Live' signs off for the last time
Lurching awkwardly between classy gestures and underwhelming torpor, "Larry King Live" breathed its last on CNN Thursday night, even if its star and Founding Father kept reminding viewers that though his program was ending, "you're not going to see me go away." This Story With a star-studded guest list, 'Larry King Live' signs off for the last time Larry King's career in photos TV Column: Memorable moments Your Take: Favorite Larry King interviews View All Items in This St...

CNN's Larry King exits after 25 years
(12-16) 23:06 PST New York (AP) -- Two presidents, four television news anchors and a 10-year-old son who looked ready to take dad's place behind the microphone turned out to bid Larry King farewell as he pulled the curtain down on his CNN Talk Show Thursday after 25 years. King, 77, was serenaded by Tony Bennett singing "The Best is Yet to Come" via remote from Louisiana. King had announced this summer he would leave, ushered out by a struggling network. Once the dominant voice in cable telev...

CNN KING EXITS AFTER 25 YEARS...
NEW YORK (AP) - Two presidents, four television news anchors and a 10-year-old son who looked ready to take dad's place behind the microphone turned out to bid Larry King farewell as he pulled the curtain down on his CNN Talk Show Thursday after 25 years. King, 77, was serenaded by Tony Bennett singing "The Best is Yet to Come" via remote from Louisiana. King had announced this summer he would leave, ushered out by a struggling network. Once the dominant voice in Cable Television news, King has ...

Larry King says goodbye after 25 years
Veteran US broadcaster Larry King has presented the final edition of his long-running CNN Talk Show after 25 years with the Cable News channel. The 77-year-old fought back tears as he told his audience: "Thank you, and instead of Goodbye, how about So Long?" Larry King Live has ended after more than 6,000 shows and 50,000 interviews. Former Tabloid editor and talent show judge Piers Morgan will take over his coveted time slot in January. Thursday's edition saw former president Bil...

The Obama Administrations New Focus: Environmental Justice
Recently the Obama Administration had a mutli-agency forum - including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the EPA, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Labor - about “environmental justice.” So what the heck is “environmental justice?” As Carter Wood explains, it’s whatever the Environmentalists decide it is at any given moment: The trouble with “environmental justice” is that it means whatever th...

The Partisan Press
Liberals are having plenty of fun at the Maryland study out now showing that Fox News viewers are especially misinformed about current events (here's the study summary, pdf). Fair enough, and this adds to what we konw about how information is transmitted and, to some extent, how Fox can affect information flows. That's good to know. What I think we know a lot less about, however, is how the partisan press functions -- not just Fox News, but MSNBC Talk Shows, and radio talk, and partisan blogs. ...

Bigger Is Easier
President Obama faces an enormously difficult challenge over the next few weeks. David Brooks and Gail Collins talk between columns. On the one hand, this moment is ripe for fundamental change. There is a pervasive sense that the nation is at a Sputnik moment when it either rises to face the international competition or it does not. Commissions are churning out sweeping proposals. The Economy is strong enough for policy makers to think beyond the immediate crisis but not so strong that it allay...

Lie of the Year: 'Government takeover of health care'
The editors and reporters of PolitiFact.com have chosen "government takeover of Health Care" as the 2010 Lie of the Year . Uttered by dozens of politicians and pundits, it played an important role in shaping Public Opinion about the health care plan and was a significant factor in the Democratic losses in the Midterm Elections. PolitiFact.com is the St Petersburg Times ' independent fact-checking website. Run by editor Bill Adair , the site's Staffers make it their business to rate the accuracy ...

Fact-checking a fact-checker
ObamaCare is a federal takeover of the medical industry. PolitiFact has labeled as its lie of the year: “A government takeover of Health Care.” How can that be? Simple. First, it attributed the “lie” to Frank Luntz, who somehow cooked this phrase up in his focus group laboratory. Frankenquote. Bwa ha ha. Never mind that Ronald Reagan warned that Medicaid would lead to a government takeover of medicine more than 45 years ago. The important thing is defining what a govern...

Politicians, union leaders to public workers: Die early, die often
By Frank Keegan – Failure to fund state and municipal Retirement plans means most of those workers either will have to drain government services, impose ruinous Tax Increases and stiff bondholders, or simply die early and die often. Defined benefit Pension planners refer to it as mortality risk sharing. No matter what it’s called, the numbers are irrefutable: Retirement promises are anywhere from $1 Trillion to more than $5 Trillion in the hole if we include the most optimistic est...

Good grief: ObamaCare lawyers argue that health insurance premiums is itself a tax
This is absurd. As a Professor in a University, I choose a healthcare plan from a pool that my U negotiate with providers. I make a choice based on coverage and cost. The Obama regime is arguing in court that no matter what I choose, I am paying a tax to a private company to cover myself and my family. Uh - what?!? By that reasoning, when I buy apples at the Grocery Store for $0.68 per pound, I am paying a $0.68 per pound tax. In fact, every product or service I purchase is a tax. It's absurd b...

Andy Burnham: Labour should move to one member, one vote when electing leader
Andy Burnham. Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian Ed Miliband wants Labour to change, and so does Andy Burnham. As shadow Education Secretary, Burnham is about to embark on a review of Labour education policy. But he's also Miliband's election campaign co-ordinator and one of the five figures who took part in the leadership contest. Our interview ranged widely; here are the highlights: • Burnham called for Labour to adopt a full "one member, one vote" electoral system for fut...

Sarah Palin 'some months' away from any decision to seek presidency
Reporting from Honolulu Sarah Palin says she's still "some months" away from a decision about whether to seek the presidency in 2012, and that she won't be deterred by polls showing that she may not be the Republican Party's best Candidate to beat President Obama. The former Alaska Governor's comments about a White House run were not new, but the forum in which she discussed them was a departure. She spoke with ABC's Robin Roberts for a piece that aired Friday on "Good Morning America." The int...

Conservative of the Year 2010
As is our tradition, our readers choose the Conservative of the Year. This year, in light of the astounding electoral victories, it was difficult to narrow the list, but here are 7 potential Candidates (in alphabetical order) for your perusal: Glenn Beck - The iconoclastic FOX host might not have the largest audience on the network, but it surely is the most fervent. His high point may have been the rally last summer that drew hundreds of thousands of his supporters to the Lincoln Memorial in...

Showing Restraint: Judge Right to Overturn ObamaCare
On December 13, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson issued a decision on the Commonwealth of Virginia’s challenge to the constitutionality of ObamaCare’s “minimal essential coverage provision.” “In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.”  Thomas Jefferson As a conservative, of course I am delighted with the decision.  As an attorney, I am impressed by Judge ...

The most effective and diabolical lie of the year
One of the big stories of the day is that PolitiFact has now bestowed its much-coveted award for lie of the year on the idea that health reform constituted a "government takeover" of our Health Care system. It's an excellent choice. But what specifically makes this such an effective lie? The obvious reason is that it's catchy and packs a lot of fear-mongering into only two words. But the...