AP – The past week’s dustup over contraception underscored President Barack Obama’s early advantage in one important area: working to attract independent voters without alienating his Democratic base. His Republican rivals, meanwhile, are forced to keep emphasizing their conservative credentials to attract the right-leaning activists who dominate primaries and caucuses.
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Analysis: Obama pitches middle while GOP eyes base
(AP)
AP – President Barack Obama’s political shifting over contraception coverage has united conservative Republicans in protest even as they split over which GOP presidential hopeful should face him in the general election.
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Conservatives shrug at Obama birth control rewrite
(AP)
Attending CPAC really is a rite of passage for conservatives, and especially for conservative bloggers, as it’s truly the one time that you’ll have a chance to meet all the people you read and link on a daily basis. I’m pictured here from last year with Herman Cain and Pamela Geller. Every year Pamela holds some of the best and best-attended events at the conference. And of course her criticism of the American Conservative Union for kowtowing to jihad is legend. And now it turns out that Pamela and Robert Spencer had something of an epic confrontation with Muslim snake Suhail Kahn, and she’s got video: ” FULL VIDEO: Suhail Khan Unhinged Spencer/Geller Take Down .” And of course, if you go, get ready to party with Robert Stacy McCain, who had a mention at Politico the other day, ” 5 non-politicians to watch at CPAC “: If you want to see someone thoroughly enjoy CPAC, look no further than this Washington Times-turned-American Spectator scribe, whose weathered face (he likes to call himself a “skinny redneck”) gets a new glow this time of year whenever CPAC comes to town. He calls it “Mardi Gras for the right.” After years of attending, he knows most virtually everyone and occupies the Marriott Wardman like a mayor (or “an epic schmoozer” or a “cruise director”). And he loves the rare opportunity in Washington of surrounded by his conservative pals, since he normally just annoys liberals. How can you find McCain? If the chain smoking and fedora don’t tip you off, he’ll be the guy in the press section who brings his family and boisterously laughs at Ann Coulter’s jokes, to the chagrin of mainstream types. And how do you know he’s pumped for this year? He’s already dubbed it the “best CPAC ever” and has planned how to “be in seven places simultaneously.” Apparently not in attendance this year is Skye from Midnight Blue , who according to her Twitter feed had a ton of work commitments that kept her home. William Jacobson didn’t attend either and he’s already having second thoughts: ” Almost makes me wish I had gone to CPAC .” I’ll have more coverage coming up. Added : I met Kevin from Marooned in Marin last year as well, and he’s at CPAC 2012 and blogging up a storm .
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Well, Couldn’t Make It to CPAC 2012, But Looks Like Folks Had a Blast
AP – Social issues dominated the 2012 presidential race Friday, as President Barack Obama tried to calm a storm over religion and birth control and the Republicans vying to replace him jockeyed to outdo each other in proving their conservative fervor.
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Social issues rule busy day in presidential race
(AP)
**Written by Doug Powers The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is underway in Washington, DC. Naturally, OWS protesters are there to greet conference-goers and to roll out a welcome mat made of astroturf. Michelle Fields from the Daily Caller caught up with a demonstrator who claims he’s being paid. Not only does the guy in the video below say that a union local is paying him $60 a day to “Occupy” CPAC, but he also claims everybody in his group is being paid. Some are clueless as to what it is they’re protesting (note: if the video below isn’t loading try this link ) : Does $60 a day meet or exceed Occupy’s “living wage” demand ? If you’re in need of a little cheap afternoon entertainment, check out Jim Treacher’s Occupy CPAC Hippiecam . **Written by Doug Powers Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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‘Occupy CPAC’ Protester Paid $60 a Day
Santorum tries to emerge as the conservative alternative to Romney at CPAC
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Santorum says conservatives failed conservatism; says contraception controversy is about freedom
ContributorNetwork – COMMENTARY | The Heritage Foundation’s 2012 Index of Dependence on Government draws the unsurprising conclusion Americans are more dependent on government than ever before. While the conservative think tank’s report is cited by sources such as Investor’s Daily as evidence of failed Obama administration policies, such political manipulation detracts from the report’s essential message.
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Extinguishing Government Dependency Starts with You … Er, Me
(ContributorNetwork)
Well, actually, Kennedy’s not all the conservative these days, so it won’t be a surprise. He’s into the “evolving standards of decency” doctrine that’s been used is left-wing decisions on the death penalty; and more importantly, Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in Lawrence v. Texas , which struck down sodomy laws in 2003. I’d have to research it, but the Court often hesitates to overturn state-level initiatives, arguing that the judgment of the Court can’t be assumed superior to the voters in those states where a case originates. That said, here’s David Savage, at Los Angeles Times , ” Gay marriage fight may hinge on Supreme Court’s Anthony Kennedy “: The Supreme Court has nine justices, but if the constitutional fight over same-sex marriage reaches them this year, the decision will probably come down to just one: a California Republican and Reagan-era conservative who has nonetheless written the court’s two leading gay rights opinions. JusticeAnthony M. Kennedy, 75, often holds the court’s deciding vote on the major issues that divide its liberals and conservatives. More often than not, that vote has swung the court to the right. But on gay rights, Kennedy has been anything but a “culture wars” conservative. One of his opinions lauded the intimacy between same-sex couples and demanded “respect for their private lives,” provoking Justice Antonin Scalia to accuse him of having “signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda.” “He is a California establishment Republican with moderately libertarian instincts,” Stanford University law professor Pamela Karlan said of Kennedy. “He travels in circles where he has met and likes lots of gay people.” Based on Kennedy’s past opinions, Karlan is confident that if the Supreme Court takes up the issue of California’s same-sex marriage ban, “it meansProp. 8is going down to defeat,” she said. “There is no way he will take it to reinstate” the ban. Not all court observers share her prediction, but the uncertainty about how Kennedy might vote may, by itself, be enough to deter the high court from hearing an appeal of the decision by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Four justices must vote for the court to consider a case, but a majority is needed to issue a ruling. When an appeal reaches the high court, the four most conservative justices will face a tough choice: Vote to have the court hear the case and run the risk that Kennedy would side with the more liberal justices to go beyond the 9th Circuit decision and establish a nationwide right to same-sex marriage. Or turn the case aside, leaving same-sex marriage intact in California but setting no national precedent. More at the link .
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Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Might Cast Deciding Vote Striking Down Proposition 8
Wow, what a night! At Los Angeles Times , ” Rick Santorum wins Republican votes in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado “: Republican long shot Rick Santorum poked holes in Mitt Romney’s aura of inevitability Tuesday night with a trio of upset victories that shifted the dynamic of the 2012 presidential contest. The former Pennsylvania senator’s wins in the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses and Missouri primary were setbacks for Romney, the national front-runner, who had been expected to cruise easily through a series of relatively minor February voter tests. He must now wait three weeks to regroup, when Arizona and Michigan hold what suddenly are shaping up as unexpectedly important primaries. In remarks to delirious supporters in St. Charles, Mo., Santorum took a swipe at Romney’s big advantage in money and the negative ads he’s used to defeat his opponents in previous states. He also lashed out at President Obama, describing him as someone “who thinks he knows better” and doesn’t listen to the American people. “Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t stand here to claim to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney. I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama,” Santorum said, setting off chants of “We pick Rick!” Reflecting what he sees as the altered shape of the race, Santorum told CNN that “now we’re in a little bit of a no-man’s land” as the candidates move into states where they haven’t had months, or years, to campaign. Romney, who won Minnesota four years ago, was running a weak third behind Santorum and Ron Paul. Speaking to a deflated crowd of backers in Denver, Romney said he was “pretty confident” he would come in either first or second in Colorado’s caucuses, his last hope for salvaging a bad night. But hours later, state Republican Chairman Ryan Call announced over CNN that Santorum had won. He congratulated Santorum and said that he looked forward to coming contests and a united party when the primaries ended. But he also struck a pose as a populist outsider, speaking of his father’s humble roots and casting himself as the antidote to the problems in the nation’s capital. RTWT. And see William Kristol, ” Romneycare: Worth Getting Worried About .” (Via Memeorandum .)
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Santorum Victories Set New Tempo for GOP Race
