Fantasy Politics USA

Rudy Giuliani was answering questions, and was asked how does expect loyalty from Republican voters when his own family doesn’t support him. The lady asking the question was referring to a recent report that said Giuliani’s daughter supported Democrat Barack Obama, and his son doesn’t talk with him. Giuliani in a slow calm voice told the lady, “I love my family very, very much and will do anything for them. There are complexities in every family in America. The best thing I can say is kind of, leave my family alone, just like I’ll leave your family alone.” Giuliani said that he should be judged by the job he has done as a mayor and prosecutor, and not by his family. He spent the rest of the time talking about health care. He thinks that buying health insurance should be like buying insurance for you car or house, where everyone can pick out their deductibles and different types of coverage. He seems to have forgotten what it is like not being rich. Most people are struggling to pay their car and house insurance, which are both required. If you have money, then buying health insurance already is like buying car and home insurance. He really doesn’t understand.
Alan Cosgrove

Hillary Clinton’s new ad ‘Invisible’ has caught the attention of the White House. In her new ad she said that most of us are invisible to this President. It even suggest the U.S. troops in Afghanistan are invisible to President Bush. White House press secretary Dana Perino said, “As to the merits of it, I think it’s outrageous. This is a president who, first and foremost, has helped millions of seniors across the country have access to prescription drugs at a much lower cost. As to whether or not our troops are invisible to this president, I think that is absurd and that it is unconscionable that a member of Congress would say such a thing.” Clinton is happy that her ad has ruffled some feathers at the White House. “Apparently I’ve struck a nerve, the White House just attacked me a few minutes ago,” Clinton said. “Not only have I said it and am saying it, I will keep saying it because I happen to believe it.”
Alan Cosgrove

Tommy Thompson has decided to drop out after a poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll this past Saturday. Thompson was a former governor of Wisconsin and served in President Bush’s first term as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He has maintained poll numbers in the single digits and had hoped the Straw Poll would push him into the top tier. Thompson came in sixth in the poll with only 7.3% of the vote. Late Sunday Thompson’s campaign announced he would be dropping out of the race for the President. “I want to thank the people of Iowa who were welcoming and supportive as well as my volunteers and contributors from around the country,” Thompson said in a statement released by his presidential campaign. “I have no regrets about running. I felt my record as Governor of Wisconsin and Secretary of Health and Human Services gave me the experience I needed to serve as President, but I respect the decision of the voters.” Mitt Romney invested a huge effort into the poll and it payed off because he won with 31.6%. Mike Huckabee came in second with 18.1%, and in third was Sam Brownback with 15.3%. There are rumors that Brownback may drop out soon too, and go back to his job in the Senate. Like Thomposn, Brownback invested a lot of effort and money in this poll and he feels a third place finish was not that great. Rounding out the top five was Tom Tancredo in fourth with 13.7% and Ron Paul in fifth with 9.1% On the bottom of the poll was front runner Rudy Giuliani and John McCain who both refused to participate in the poll. The poll has become important in the past elections because the eventual Republican candidate usually comes from there a winner. On the bottom was Duncan Hunter who came in behind the two that didn’t even participate. You would think he would get a clue, but instead he has decided to keep on going. “This is just a start for us, because this is the first real week we have done in Iowa,” Hunter said in an interview. “We look at this as a good start.” He did say this before the results were given though. A close look at the poll and it looks like the real winner is Huckabee with his second place finish. Romney’s big win is diminished somewhat because of the absence of the frontrunners. When you apply a cost-benefit analysis to the poll it gives you a different picture. Romney spent about $400 for each vote since it is estimated he spent about 2 million dollars to win the poll. Huckabee spent only $150,000 on the poll and that comes to about $58 a vote. So the candidate that spent nothing but time and effort came out the real winner, while the candidate that spent a bunch of money came out the winner only on paper. I think this poll will give Huckabee the boost he needed to go on.
Alan Cosgrove

Hillary Clinton was taking questions from the National Association of Black Journalists Presidential Forum on Thursday and came out swinging hard. A freelance writer asked Clinton why she supported “socialized medicine.” “Why are you still insisting upon moving that system in here when particularly it will hurt African American communities more than anyone else?” Kiara Ashanti asked. “Oh, man – that was a string of misrepresentations about me and the systems in other countries,” Clinton responded. “Number one, I have never advocated socialized medicine, and I hope all the journalists hear that loudly and clearly because that has been a right-wing attack on me for 15 years, and it is wrong.” She then asked Ashanti, “Do you think Medicare is socialized medicine?” Ashanti said, “To a degree it is.” Then Clinton fired back, “Well, then you are in a small minority in America because Medicare has literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country.” Clinton was critical of the fact that the U.S. was the only advanced country to have “so many of its citizens without health care.” Then Clinton invited Ashanti to get some education on the Hill-facts saying, “I don’t know who you are. But you come introduce yourself to my staff and we will try to give you some information if you’re interested in being educated instead of being rhetorical.” I don’t believe Ashanti has taken her up on this offer.
Alan Cosgrove

This Saturday is the first test of the political season with the Iowa Ames Straw Poll and Tommy Thompson has decided this will either make or break him. Thompson has decided that a win, or even a second place finish in this poll is what he needs to catapult him into the top tiers of the Republicans. But anything less than that, and Thompson might just call it quits. Two of the top candidates, Rudy Giuliani and John McCain have decided to drop out of the forum, but their names will still appear on the ballot. Thompson’s campaign has sent emails to supporters encouraging them to attend the Straw Poll on Saturday and vote for him. According to an email from Thompson’s campaign, “If you’re a SOTT (Supporter of Tommy Thompson), then this is probably the most important e-mail you have ever received from his campaign. Without your help and support this week, Tommy Thompson’s campaign cannot go on. Tommy Thompson has made it clear that if he doesn’t finish first or second this week in Ames, Iowa at the straw poll, he will not go on in this race.”
Alan Cosgrove

Mitt Romney was asked if any of his own children have served in the military, and what they were doing to “support the war on terror.” The question came to him during a campaign stop by a lady who is a member of the Quad City Progressive Action for the Common Good and is the sister of an Army major who has served in Iraq. Romney has five sons, who maintain the blog “Five Brothers” on Romney’s website, and has been a strong supporter of the war in Iraq. Romney gave a vague answer saying, “The good news is, we have a volunteer army, and we’re going to keep it that way,” Romney responded. “My sons are all adults…. They’ve made their decisions about their careers and chosen not to serve in the military and I respect that decision.” I guess Romney feels that rich children don’t need to serve, only our children. Romney went on to call for a “surge of support” for those who have enlisted. As long as they are not his kids. Since he didn’t answer what his own sons are doing to “support the war on terror” that he so supports, I guess the answer is nothing. So go carry that banner for them, they are to busy campaigning for Romney.
Alan Cosgrove