AP – The White House is lauding a rosier election-year economic forecast, predicting the economy could add two million jobs this year. But the upbeat projection is based partly on the shaky premise that Congress will sign off on President Barack Obama’s jobs agenda.
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White House to promote more positive jobs outlook
(AP)
AP – In a shift in White House tactics on the cusp of an election year, President Barack Obama isn’t shying away these days from saying that many of his policies were designed with African-Americans in mind.
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Obama seeks ideas on reducing black joblessness
(AP)
Rick Perry was the second presidential contender to speak at the “Values Voter Summit” in Washington, D.C, on Friday. He touted his economic record as governor of Texas, touched on border security and took what seemed to be a swipe at Mitt Romney . “For some candidates, ‘pro-life’ is an election year slogan,” Perry said. Romney has faced criticism for contradictory statements he’s made on abortion as governor of Massachusetts and as a candidate for president. Perry also said that all voters are “values voters.” The difference is, he said, “whose values?”
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Perry digs at Romney at Voter Values Summit
AP – Alone in a cabin in Northern Ontario last month, Sen. Lamar Alexander considered the debt limit deal Congress and President Barack Obama had recently, noisily struck. He thought about the debates still to come in the 2012 election year, the issues he cared about, and his own future in the Senate.
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Alexander to GOP leaders: Thanks, but no thanks
(AP)
I’m not surprised to see Virginia governor Bob McDonnell doing rather well in the Washington Post ’s poll . The budget is balanced, state taxes have not gone up, the unemployment rate is the ninth-lowest in the country , and the state’s job creation is doing a little better than the national average . A Virginia Republican looks at today’s poll numbers and tells me: A 62 percent approval rating — that’s the highest of any elected official in Virginia. And here is what is truly remarkable about that very high number. Look at how heavily Democratic the sample is! Voters in this poll self-identified as 31 percent Democratic, 36 percent independent, and only 22 percent Republican. (Another 7 percent indicated “other” and 4 percent said, “no opinion.”) That is an
