Campaign debt help from Romney to Pawlenty

Well, well, well -- no wonder Tim Pawlenty endorsed Romney.  Knew there was something up and sure enough not 24 hours later, this pops up.  Actually a few hours later.  A smart person would have held a joint fundraiser but Romney wanted the endorsement so why bring others into the picture::

Campaign debt help from Romney to Pawlenty

By MAGGIE HABERMAN | 9/12/11 2:14 PM EDT 

Two Republican sources said there had been discussions about Mitt Romney helping his new endorser, Tim Pawlenty, retire campaign debt that is said to be in the six figures during the past two weeks. 

Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul, asked about this, replied, "If Tim Pawlenty wants our help, that's something we'd help him with, just as we help all our friends."

There are no details worked out yet in terms of fundraising events, as I understand it.

Must go help our friends so that friend can endorse you for President, right Mr. Romney?  We knew there was something behind this endorsement of Pawlenty for Romney -- first thought was VP, but this is something more basic.  Romney wants to help retire Pawlenty's debt and get his endorsement.  

How did Pawlenty get millions in debt to begin with because his campaign was mostly lackluster?  

Now we have money for endorsements if you want to be crass about it.  Is Romney going to help Newt?  Not on your life -- he goes after the weakest links not someone with a real backbone like Newt!  What good is an endorsement when the same day this comes out?  Zero, zip, nada.  

Obama is 'Wrong for America'

Dr. Tom Coburn (R-OK) gives the Republican address today. Watch Dr. Coburn and tell us if you don't think the Senator from Oklahoma should be running for President:





If you want to see the Obama Saturday address attacking Republicans and their budget, please follow the link. Obama's being on the campaign trail with his attack politics is already old.

Obama Assesses GOP Budget: 'Wrong for America'
Apr 16, 2011 – 9:32 AM

We have a different take on that headline from the Obama Saturday morning address to America -- Obama is 'Wrong for America' as he seeks to make sure his major donors continue to get our tax dollars while ignoring what is best for America. His speech Wednesday night offered nothing new -- tax and spend. He took a table knife to the budget he submitted and expected the American people to rave what a wonderful President he was.

Obama will never understand most of the American people are now having a hard time with the rising gas prices caused in part by this Administration's moratorium still in place in the Gulf except for one permit we heard was issued. His administration is not doing any better in issuing permits on new drilling here on land. They have essentially shut down new exploration for oil and gas in the United States.

We are now even more dependent on what happens in the Middle East that Obama helped stir up with his inept foreign policy and a Secretary of State that is out of touch with reality. Bad combination that has made the middle east worse and caused the price of a barrel of oil to rise significantly. You don't waffle like is the trademark of Obama and you certainly don't take the side of the rebels with leaders and members of Al Qaeda as a major part of their group.

None of us have to worry as we are reminded by this Administration inflation is not that bad and we have to sacrifice by paying more for gasoline. Why? Since the Government doesn't consider the price of gasoline and groceries in the inflation numbers, the inflation is going to remain lower than it actually is. Tell that to my bank account that there is no inflation. So sick and tired of the weasel wording you get from this Administration on oil and gas along with groceries as he jets around the country on our dime wasting jet fuel and throwing parties in the White House. Someone needs to tell the President that is not a king or a dictator. It is time he and his family quit abusing the perks that come with being President and realize what the average American is facing. Time for Obama rhetoric is OVER!

Obama could have said in his speech that he made a lot of mistakes with the economy when he took office as he was inexperienced and that he wasted too much of the American tax dollars on an agenda that sounded good like bailing out the banks, GM, and Chrysler but in reality it failed as the stimulus money was wasted in a lot of instances. Then he could have said that he will work across the aisle to do what is best for the American people.

Not Obama -- he has chosen the confrontational approach toward Republicans who have some very good ideas on how to get this Country back on its feet. Obama would rather play the senior citizen card that has worked in the past that Republicans want to take away social security checks. Obama is a typical politician from the far left or far right that only their agenda is correct.

Wish that our Senator, Dr. Tom Coburn (R-OK), would run for President because he truly believes that working together you can solve the problems of America. Every time he has reached out his hand to Obama, he gets it bit off which shows that Obama has no intention of working with Republicans. He would rather be in campaign mode on the attack.

Poorest example of a President we have ever experienced in this Country which is over 200 years old with Obama as the 45th President. This better teach voters a lesson that you never elect someone as President who was raised in his early years in a foreign country whose parents were not in the military but as an adopted son of an Indonesian. It doesn't look like in his life that he ever was friends with people you meet on the street every day throughout Middle America. The same people who turn out in big numbers for a spring football scrimmage and to see the alumni play flag football.

The people behind Obama pulled a coup in getting an inexperienced, far left, lazy politician elected. He has proven he didn't deserve to be President and it is now up to common sense Americans from the right, middle, and left to see that he is not reelected. Let the far extremes of both parties duke it out as we can unite to elect someone who understands you have to work together for the betterment of all Americans. The 'my way or no way' we see out of Obama/Pelosi and the far left is matched but what we are seeing out of the far right. Both groups see working across the aisle as the greatest sin you can do and go on the attack when they don't get their way.

In the weeks ahead we will start looking in-depth at some of the candidates who have announced exploratory committees and are close to making a formal announcement to run for President like former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty who learned as Governor with a full Democrat legislature that you have to work together to get things accomplished. Yet he was willing to stand his ground when he felt it was in the best interest of the people of Minnesota and tell the Democrats NO!

Then we have Donald Trump who is making all the noise. Like him or hate him, he is not afraid to say what he thinks. He is saying things a lot of people are thinking. Will he run? We have no clue but it sure is fun to watch the left squirm when he talks.

Rick Santorum surprised a lot of people by taking the straw poll in one of the SC counties. Unlike CPAC, the straw poll was not bought by the candidate busing in his people. These were activists voting.

Newt Gingrich has put out some interesting documents but we don't see his chances for the GOP nomination getting off the ground. He is more cabinet material in our opinion.

Herman Cain may be the sleeper candidate in all of this as he is slowly picking up support. We also have Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels who will decide after the legislative sessions is done if he will run for President.

My favorite, Governor Rick Perry of Texas, is making no moves to run and my second favorite, Dr. Coburn, is doing the same. That leaves a wide open field for my support and that of others although most of the people I talk with do not want anyone from the 2008 campaign which was such a disaster.

When you have former candidates that in 2010 were told they were not needed in some states to campaign for candidates, they do not need apply for 2012. The talk media needs to stay out of the primary for the most part with the horrible job they did in 2010 helping give us some bad candidates out of primaries in the Senate.

What we do know is that we need to field a strong candidate that can withstand the Obama media attacks. We don't care about Obama attacks he reads from his teleprompter and neither do most people. When you put your own Vice President to sleep with your speech, your rhetoric is wearing thin. It is the constant attacks by the Obama media as they try and get him reelected. They were a major part of his campaign strategy in 2008 by covering up his gaffes, his background, and attacking McCain at every turn. The Obama media became a part of the Obama campaign and unfortunately too many Americans fell for their spin.

Tim Pawlenty Announcement video for his Exploratory Committee

Visit his new website at TimPawlenty.com to learn more facts about the former Minnesota Governor. After eight years as Governor of Minnesota dealing with a Democrat legislature, he is more than qualified.

Background:

During his two terms as Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty has used innovative and conservative leadership to balance the state’s budget, cut spending, reform health care and improve schools without raising taxes. Under his leadership, Minnesota has nation-leading health care, the highest school test scores, and a leading economy.

Balancing the state budget against a Democrat legislature is no small feat and is very commendable. Was definitely not an easy task and took a backbone of steel to accomplish.

Pawlenty to file exploratory committee today

Wanted to learn more about Tim Pawlenty so I ordered his book, Courage to Stand, and found it very interesting reading following my completion of the George W. Bush book, Decision Points.  After reading Pawlenty's book, I can understand why some people I know support him for President.  I think as more Americans get to hear his message, they will start to understand why he is running for President.  He didn't have an easy road as Governor with the Democrats in charge of the legislature but he was successful and found ways to make it work. 

His Introduction in his book caught my attention and reminded me of how many times around the kitchen table, current events and politics were discussed when I was growing up.  It was refreshing to read his comments and understand a little more about the former Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty who has his feet planted on the ground and his priorities straight.  Below are a few paragraphs from his book:

America is in Trouble

People I talk to in every small town and big city across this great country of our recognize we're headed down a dangerous road.  Here's what I mean:

In the spring of 2010, the world watched in horror as Greece's financial system suffered a near-total meltdown.  There were protests and riots in the streets as a populace so addicted to entitlements and living the good life off the government dole faced the harsh reality that they might have to sacrifice what the government had promised them -- because the government simple had no more money to pay for it.  An entire population seemed horrified that they might to work past the common retirement age of six-one.  Imagine.

My family was eating breakfast one morning, discussion Greece and its financial trouble because it was in the newspaper.  Mara, my then-thirteen-year-old daughter, completely unprompted, with simplicity and clarity, looked at me and said, "That will be America soon."

That's a quote.  I didn't prompt her.  A thirteen-year old recognized America is spending blindly toward the edge of a cliff.  "That will be America soon."

If a child can see it, why6 can't the Washington establishment?  And yet here we are, face with the leadership at various levels of government -- especially the national level -- who are unwilling or unable to tack the real issues of our time.

Glad he is setting up the first step, an exploratory committee, to getting in the race in 2012 for President.  He completed his 4-year term as Governor and is ready to roll up his sleeves to run for President.  We have found him refreshing as some of the other potential candidates have been around too long and are so over exposed that we want someone new running against Obama in 2012. 

We are looking forward to learning more about the former Minnesota Governor who had a spine of steel against the Minnesota Democrat led legislature.

Pawlenty to file exploratory committee today

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty will file paperwork today to organize his bid for the White House into an exploratory committee, he told supporters on a conference call today.

"We're filing the paperwork today to form an exploratory committee to run for president of the United States," he said on the call, to which POLITICO dialed in, he said, saying the committee would allow him to take the "initial steps" to run for president.

The bid, to be announced on Facebook later today, will be headquartered in the Minneapolis.

An aide, Phil Musser, asked donors to wait until April 1 to contribute to Pawlenty's campaign, in order to avoid the impression that he'd tried and failed to raise much money in his first quarter.

"With all due respect for President Obama, I think he's taken this country in the wrong direction," Pawlenty told supporters. "This is the greatest nation this world has ever known and it's in trouble and it needs a new direction and it ned new leadership."

Pawlenty's aides also made the case for his candidacy

"Tim Pawlenty is the conservative in this race who can unite all elements of the Republican party, and can beat Barack Obama in 2012," said Musser, who cast Pawlenty's obscurity as a potential advantage. "The good news is that the governor is still largely unknown to most Republican primary voters -- that's an opportunity and a challenge for us."

Source: Politico

Inhofe Informant: Outrage over EPA`s Oklahoma Decision -- EPA is Going After Oklahoma and Texas

Every week the Inhofe Informant from Senator Inhofe brings us up to date on what is happening in the Senate and the Government. This issue was filled with the facts that shows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is totally out of control.

If someone running for President wants an issue to run, we have a suggestion: Disband the EPA and put their responsibilities back under a cabinet secretary. The EPA for years has been going off on their own attacking states at will while putting the environment and creatures ahead of people. Time to end this runaway agency and get some common sense back in the discussion. Most of us are conservationists but we don't put a trap door spider ahead of people or building when you can go in the next county and find more.

If there is one agency responsible for hurting our economy, lay the blame right at the feet of the EPA and their ridiculous rules. We need new refineries and to upgrade the ones we have but EPA rules are so expensive and cumbersome, you cannot get approval. Now we have a President who backs them 100%.

Republicans better get their act together and elect someone in the primaries who can oust Obama, his czars, and his cabinet. If someone has high negatives, they don't need to apply. We need a good candidate who can win and someone like a Palin or Gingrich who independents hate should not even be in the conversation but some websites and supporters cannot help themselves. If you ran in 2008, you also don't need to apply.

This email from Senator Inhofe shows a small part of what the EPA is up to and how important it is that we 'Take the Senate' in 2012 and oust this President. Reality check needed in some circles and the games being played need to stop. This is deadly serious what is going on in DC and we need someone with the backbone to clean it up. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty certainly has the backbone as he was not afraid to take on his state's Democrat legislature and found ways to win via the rules. He didn't quit during his term and he was bucking all odds with the Democrats in charge of the legislature.

Inhofe Informant: Outrage over EPA`s Oklahoma Decision
Dear Friends,

This week, I was outraged after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rejected Oklahoma’s State Implementation Plan for Regional Haze. Instead of allowing the state to work with the local utility companies, the EPA will now place unelected bureaucrats in charge of devising a plan of cleaning the air. This power grab on the part of the EPA is unacceptable and will surely negatively impact consumers.

INHOFE: EPA OVERREACHES IN OKLAHOMA
March 7, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today criticized the Environmental Protection Agency for rejecting Oklahoma’s State Implementation Plan for Regional Haze and moving forward with a federal plan.

“State officials in Oklahoma did the right thing: they worked with state utilities to devise a plan that will continue progress in cleaning the air while ensuring affordable, reliable electricity for consumers," Senator Inhofe said. "But that was too much for the Obama EPA, which rejected the Oklahoma-led plan in favor of their preferred scheme to put Washington bureaucrats in charge and, ultimately, to make fossil-fuel-based electricity more expensive for consumers.

“Oklahoma’s consumers, including families, farmers, and manufacturers, will bear the brunt of this regulatory power grab. Through my leadership position on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, I will do everything I can to work with Oklahoma officials to protect consumers from EPA’s attack on affordable electricity.”

###

As the threat of a federal government shutdown loomed, I supported a two week continuing resolution to fund the government and cut $4 billion in unnecessary spending. In the coming weeks, I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass a fiscally responsible budget.

Recently, the Oklahoma congressional delegation stood in unity by supporting my legislation, the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011. This legislation will prevent the EPA from backdoor cap-and-trade regulations by protecting jobs in America’s manufacturing sectors, placing Congress in charge of the nation’s climate change policies, protecting consumers from higher energy costs, and ensuring that the public health provisions of the clean air act are preserved. With gasoline prices near $4 a gallon, the last thing we need is bureaucratic regulations that will result in increased energy costs.

OKLAHOMA DELEGATION UNITED AGAINST OBAMA BACKDOOR ENERGY TAX

March 3, 2011

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Oklahoma Congressional delegation today stood in unity against President Obama’s backdoor cap-and-trade energy tax with all of the members of the Oklahoma Congressional delegation supporting the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011, introduced today by U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Representative Fred Upton (R-MI-6), Chairman of the House Energy Committee, has introduced the House version of the bill. U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is an original cosponsor in the Senate and Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK-1), Vice Chair on the Energy and Power Subcommittee, is an original cosponsor in the House.

The bill stops the Obama EPA's back-door cap-and-trade regulations from taking effect, and thereby:

- Protects jobs in America's manufacturing sector;

- Protects consumers from higher energy costs;

- Puts Congress in charge of the nation's climate change policies; and

- Ensures that the public health provisions of the Clean Air Act are preserved.

Inhofe said: “As the price of gasoline nears $4 a gallon, consumers can't afford to pay for the Obama EPA's back-door cap-and-trade regulations, which will inevitably mean higher prices for gasoline and electricity. The Energy Tax Prevention Act protects consumers and their budgets. Further, the Energy Tax Prevention Act also imposes accountability. It takes power away from unelected bureaucrats and puts it where it belongs: in Congress, where the people can and should decide the nation's climate change policy."

Sullivan said: “As the Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee that will review this bill in the House, I look forward to working with Chairman Upton and Senator Inhofe to move this legislation forward to strip the EPA of its authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, something the Clean Air Act was never intended to do. The Obama Administration is determined to push a job killing national energy tax on the American people – which would be particularly devastating to a leading energy producing state like Oklahoma – and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the Inhofe-Upton bill and to join my colleagues in this important effort to rein in an out of control EPA.”

Rep. Dan Boren (D–OK-2) said: "The EPA has gone unchecked for far too long. Administrator Jackson has tried to legislate rather than take direction from Congress that is elected by the people. I am proud to join my fellow colleagues from Oklahoma in signing on to legislation that will allow the people to have a voice in their government.”

Rep. Tom Cole: (R–OK-4) said: "With the volatile situation in the Middle East threatening catastrophic gas price increases, the last thing we need to do is raise energy costs ourselves through crippling regulations. The EPA's plan to implement cap and trade circumvents both Congress and the wishes of the American people. The Energy Tax Prevention Act would prevent this terrible policy from destroying jobs and raising energy costs, and I join Sen. Inhofe and the entire Oklahoma congressional delegation in strong support of this important legislation."

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK-3) said: "The EPA's rush to regulate greenhouse gases is nothing more than a national energy tax, and the effects will be far-reaching to businesses, consumers, and even more so to rural America. Whether it’s the fuel in the tractor, the fertilizer for the crops, or the delivery of food to the grocery store, agriculture uses a great deal of energy throughout production. I am proud to join my colleagues in this effort."

Rep. James Lankford (R-OK-5) said: “We cannot penalize traditional energy sources while we wait more than 20 years for sufficient quantities of alternative energy sources to come online, yet the EPA seems to think that depriving American oil and natural gas producers of jobs and more capital will somehow help power our cars and heat our homes. These back door cap-and-trade regulations and taxes are not the key to prosperity. It is in the best interest of our state and our country for Congress to reclaim its authority from unelected bureaucracies and begin to craft a domestic energy policy that utilizes all the tremendous resources our nation possesses.”

###

During two hearings at the Senate Armed Services Committee last week, I considered the nomination of U.S. Army Gen Martin E. Dempsey as Chief of Staff of the Army. In review of the Defense Authorization Request of FY2012, I also questioned Adm. Eric T. Olson and U.S. Gen. James N. Mattis on the current ground conditions in Afghanistan.

/s/ Jim Inhofe

Courage to Stand by Tim Pawlenty