Fading Hope and Radical Change: America in the 2010s.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Seth.

Sunday, May 1st, 2011.

9:00 PM

It wasn’t the biggest night of Seth Meyer’s career, but it was a memorable one. To host the White House Press Correspondents Dinner was a rite of passage among comedians, and the large chunk of the nation not watching the baseball game were likely watching him. He knew which jokes would probably make the Morning Joe soundbites; the swipes at Fox News, the cracks about Donald Trump’s hair, the recent spectacle involving President Obama’s birth certificate, and so on. There were a few duds, such as the traditional tried and true dig at the sitting President for the continuing failure to capture Osama Bin Laden, but otherwise, it was a good set.

“He’s going to be a tough act to follow” whispered the President to the First Lady as Seth Meyers wrapped up his set. Returning to the dais, Seth took a seat next to Mrs. Obama after warmly shaking the President’s hand. Now it was Barack Obama’s turn; “I really hope I kill tonight” though President Obama, enjoying a joke that he could never dare share. The night was young – there would be little sleep to be had.

“My fellow Americans” begun the President, followed by an immediate dig at Donald Trump, who politely laughed as the world media’s cameras trained on his table. “I want to come clean and clear the air on the murky, suspicious circumstances surrounding my birth; not only have I released my long-form birth certificate, but I tonight will be airing my actual birth video!” A screen rolled down, and the birth sequence of the “Lion King” began to air. The room roared with laughter and applause, and Seth Meyers came to terms with the fact that the President would indeed be the story tomorrow morning. He had little idea how right he would be. “That was a joke” the President insisted, “I just wanted to make that clear to the Fox table.” Again, the room fell into uproarious laughter as Meyers watched on in admiration.

“Some people say I’m too professorial; I want to address that head on. That is why I’m assigning you all some reading – I know Donald Trump doesn’t like that – but you need to know the facts. Starting with my poll numbers.” Again, the room laughed. Trump looked pissed. Meyers was thrilled to see that big talking buffoon getting chewed up and spit out on national TV. And this was only just the beginning sensed Seth.

“I’ve even let down my core constituency – movie stars. Just the other day, Matt Damon said he was “disappointed in my performance.” I love Matt, I mean just love the guy. Well Matt, I just saw The Adjustment Bureau. So right back at you.”

“But the man of the hour is here tonight – that’s right, Donald Trump is here with us this evening. C’mon Donald, stand up take a bow!” Trump, ever the narcissist thought both the host and President, surely did take a stand and waved to the crowd. They responded with boos and hisses. Yet he was undeterred, and he stood standing with his arms crossed and a smirk creeping across his face, basking in all of the attention being paid to him at the moment. He turned to the President and give him the iconic double-thumbs up, with a false smile that nobody bothered to believe was sincere. Mainly because it wasn't.

“Nobody is prouder to put this birth certificate mess to rest than the Donald; that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter. Like did we fake the moon landing? Or what really happened at Roswell? Or just who exactly shot Biggy and Tupac!”

“All kidding aside Donald, we all know of your credentials and experience. No, seriously, just last week, on the Apprentice, you saw that a lack of leadership was the problem. So you didn’t fire Little John or Joan Rivers, you fired Gary Busey. That’s the kind of decision that keeps me up at night!”

The room was wrapped around Obama’s fingers; Seth gave up all remaining hope of being remembered at all. It would be, in the end, just another (well paying) gig. As the event drew to a close, the President and the First Lady were quickly whisked away through a kitchen backdoor to their awaiting motorcade, where the President was scurried off at high speeds to the White House. As the blue lights illuminated the streets of Washington, the President pensively watched the row houses go by as he pondered his future. There was no time to think of his performance.

Meanwhile, as Seth Meyers prepared to depart for the first of many after parties across Washington, the other star of the night was facing the cameras. Smiling before the throng of paparazzi and press, enveloped entirely in the flashes of hundreds of cameras with his supermodel spouse clinging to his arm, Trump boasted “this is the Academy Awards of politics, and I’m the biggest star in the room.” It made Meyer’s skin crawl. His I-phone buzzing constantly from a sea of incoming text messages, Seth decided he needed a break – either at the bar or in his room, somewhere far away from this, he thought.

Barack.

Sunday, May 1st, 2011.

11:10 PM

“Mr. President, we have a problem.” The words of CIA Director Leon Panetta, which echoed from the TV screen on which he appeared via satellite from the Pentagon, struck the President like a lightning bolt. His blood ran cold, and he could feel his the pit of his stomach beginning to sink as he came to terms with the possibility that what was supposed to be his greatest triumph might have gone horribly wrong. After a brief moment of silence, the President worked up the courage to ask a question he feared being answered: “what happened?”

“Sir, Pakistani jets intercepted our helicopters shortly after crossing over the Afghan border. They attempted to turn around, but the Pakistani’s shot down one chopper and the others were forced to land. We are attempting to organize a rescue but we believe we will not be able to reach them before Pakistani ground forces arrive.”

“Are there casualties?” asked the President, the concern in his voice betrayed in the moment. “We have reason to believe that are casualties, Mr. President.” Panetta’s words haunted Obama – men were killed on his watch, and the mission at this point was practically already aborted. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton watched somberly, her phone lighting up with text messages from top aides at the State Department and from officials at the Pakistani embassy. Secretary of Defense Gate’s face was a ghostly shade of white.

“We’ll have to make a statement” said Vice President Biden in a low voice. The room remained silent. The President was solely focused on Panetta. “How long until the estimated arrival of Pakistani forces?” asked Obama. “Our satellites are already showing troop movements both in Abottabad and near the crash site.”

“So they knew we were coming?” asked Obama. “There is no way to know that at this time” sighed Panetta, “but they know we’re there now, and they’re coming.” “Shit” spat the President, who turned towards the remainder of those gathered in the Situation Room. “Hillary, I want you to get Zardari on the phone as soon as possible” Obama ordered, before turning to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. “I want all of your eyes on that compound. I want every satellite, every asset, everything we possibly could have trained on that compound. I’m not letting that bastard get away. He isn’t dying in some cave somewhere. We are going to find him, and we are going to kill him."

The Donald.

Sunday, May 1st, 2011.

11:45 PM

Donald J. Trump lounged on the spotless cushioned seats of “Trump Force One” as it jettisoned through the skies over Maryland bound for his native New York, where he planned for a long night in front of the television watching reruns of the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. There would have to be a tweet at some point, but that could wait. Right now all Donald wanted to do was relax. Melania cradled their young son Baron in her lap as she joined her husband in watching the weekly episode of his profitable show “The Apprentice.” They watched attentively, until the screen turned crimson and the familiar chimes of death played. “This is an NBC Special Report” the announcer said.

“Shit. Who died?” asked Donald. Then the reality set in, and Trump watched in horror and anger as he learned of the failed mission. Brian Williams and a gaggle of NBC reporters spoke of the rumors that the target of the mission was Bin Laden. Geraldo Rivera likewise reported this on Fox, where his weekend show had been extended as Fox scrambled to martial their more serious reporters to get on the air. It was time for a tweet.

“I have to say something harsh” Trump fumed, “I have to have them talking about me tomorrow, because nobody else is going to stand up to that idiot!” Melania continued to hold Baron, running her fingers through his hair as he slept soundly, unaware of the events transpiring on the other side of the world. He was too young to understand.

“Donald, do not say anything disrespectful” Melania warned, “this is a time of war. In Slovenia, during the war, we never criticized our leaders. We stood behind them.” “Your leaders led your people to freedom from the communists” snapped back Trump, “they deserved respect. Obama? The guys a choke artist!” Ever happy to mansplain Eastern European history to his wife, who spoke four more languages than he could, Donald continued to rant and rave about Obama. About how he was ruining the economy (and his business). About how he was “fundamentally transforming” the America that Trump once knew. How he wasn’t tough enough on the Muslims.

Melania was happy to let him do it. She truly loved Donald for who he was, warts and all, and was deeply satisfied with the life that her God had blessed her with. A dutiful Roman Catholic, she actually feared very little, and was indeed a stronger woman than her detractors (almost always other women) would give her credit for. But there was one thing she feared, and she knew it was seconds away from coming out of Donald’s mouth.

“I’m going to run. I’m going to run and I’m going to win” said Trump, who turned to an aide huddled in the front of the plane. “Hey” he snapped at the sleeping intern, who was too exhausted to hear his boss’s command. “Hey!” he again barked, this time louder, before getting up with a grumble and walking over to shake the poor kid awake. “I need you to tweet something for me” he ordered, “I want you type in exactly what I say and how I say it.” “Yes, Mr. Trump” replied the kid with a yawn. It would be a long flight back to New York.

When the intern explained the joke in the hashtag, Trump laughed uproariously and slapped the kid on the shoulder. “Good work. Get some sleep.” Trump returned to the back labyrinth of Trump Force One, and dialed a number from a phone attached to a desk. “Steve, I’m gonna need your help” he said into the phone.

Mea Culpa.

Monday, May 2nd, 2011.

2:15 AM

“My fellow Americans" begun the President, his eyes betrayed the deep sadness and disappointment he felt. “It gives me no pleasure to strand here tonight and announce to the American people the failure of a highly critical military operation in Pakistan” he continued. “During the mission, Pakistani authorities became aware of our activities in their country and responded to our presence, as is their right as a sovereign power” continued the President, “and I want to personally apologize to the people of Pakistan for what they, justly, may perceive as a slight to their country.” The President cleared his throat; the apology was demanded by President Zardari as a condition for the release of the captured Navy Seals. It would no doubt become a Republican soundbite by sunrise.

“I want to address the status of our Navy Seals” Obama continued, “at this time, we have confirmed that a total of five Navy Seals were killed in the crash of one of the helicopters, and that the remaining Seals have been taken into custody. We have spoken with Pakistani authorities and can verify that they are being held in good condition that those who need it are receiving adequate medical care” Obama confirmed, knowing damn well that those details were meaningless and would not hold back the onslaught of anger.

“These young men risk – and tragically, in some cases tonight, gave their lives, to fight the scourge of terrorism across the glove…..” As Obama’s speech continued, the chromocast on all of the cable news stations continued to relay the latest information. The White House was leaking like a sponge, and the rumors were running strong that Osama Bin Laden himself was the target of the mission. The Seals knew not to reveal anything, even under torture, and Obama took comfort in their strength. Though the operation might have failed, it could be undertaken again perhaps in the future with limited Pakistani cooperation.

Of course, the question remained open as to whether or not the Pakistani’s knew Bin Laden was existing in their midst. The location of his compound in Abottabad, just miles from the nation’s top military academy, suggested that elements of the ISI were aware or even abetting the fugitive terrorist leaders efforts to remain under the radar. If even one of the Seals revealed the US was aware of his location, he would be assuredly tipped off and lost once again. This couldn’t happen. Obama would have to do whatever it takes to placate the Pakistani government. They had him over a barrel.

Hillary.

Monday, May 2nd, 2011.

10:30 AM

The press was eagerly awaiting the Secretary of State to enter the Department’s press room, where she was expected to make a brief statement on the Pakistan crisis and maybe even take a few questions. All the major cable news and broadcast networks interrupted their program an hour in advance of Hillary’s statement, with a whole host of commentators, analysts, retired politicians, ex-military officers, all kinds of journalists, and other generic irrelevant on in segment after segment to offer their commentary.

Not even twelve hours had passed and Republicans were already frothing at the mouth, sensing copious amounts of blood in the water. Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Herman Cain had all made headlines that morning with their individual comments. Gingrich called President Obama’s incursion into Pakistan “a flawed mission” ordered by a “flawed president.” Ron Paul turned heads when he said he would not have ordered the mission to begin with, describing the violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty as “inexcusable” and defending the Pakistani government’s “natural” response to the events. Santorum called the disaster “God’s wrath” for not protecting the sanctity of life and marriage, predictably. But none of them mattered: Hillary knew, at this moment, that the eyes of the world were now trained on her.

Stepping to a mic before the sound of a flurry of camera clicks and flashes, Clinton began her statement. “I am pleased to announce this morning that the Pakistani government has agreed to release all American personnel currently in their country, and will repatriate the bodies of those servicemen tragically lost as well. This episode in our history is a sobering reminder that freedom and security both come at a high cost, but I take heart knowing that every American treasures these five lost heroes as much as I do.”

“Unfortunately, there are times when the United States has to do what is expedient in order to achieve what is right. We acted unilaterally in Pakistan to remove a hostile actor from the geopolitical scene in a mission of the utmost importance; unfortunately, due to the complications, we were not able to reach this threat.”

“However, this incident, while yes, damaging to American and Pakistani relations, will not wreck our solidarity in the war on terror and radical ideologies. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends in Pakistan. Friends, of course, sometimes have their spats. The unique partnership we share with the people of Pakistan is no different. But we cannot let these matters get in the way of what unites us, which is a world free from the threat of terrorism. That is why the United States will take the initiative once again to restore Pakistan’s faith in our government; today, I am announcing that I will join my Pakistani partner in Islamabad later this year to work out a framework to dramatically overhaul how the United States and Pakistan shares classified information and collaborates against radical jihadist networks.”

“The Pakistani government has been receptive to this proposal, and I look forward to working with the President to continue to stabilize this tumultuous region of the world, so that every Afghan and Pakistani child can grow up to their God given potential. Thank you, and good morning, and God Bless America.”

With that, Hillary Clinton excited the room. “Secretary Clinton! Secretary Clinton!” they yelled in a disjointed cataclysm of sound, “when will the Seals be released exactly?” “Do you know if they were shot down or crashed during a landing attempt?” “How severe are the injuries and how many were treated for their wounds?” “Will Pakistan confirm or deny that they were aware of the incursion before the attack?” “Was the target really Bin Laden?” It was no use. Clinton was already in the elevator heading back up to her office, and they were still shouting questions down the hall at her remaining retinue.

“Do they know the real numbers?” Hillary asked Huma Abedin in the elevator. “No, not yet” replied Abedin, “but they’ll leak soon if we don’t stay on top of it. We need to find a way to redirect the hit to. Obama’s done, but you can still go on.”
Note: I've decided to reboot and reorganize my old 2012 timeline. This will have a slightly altered format and will include some of the info cut from The Center Cannot Hold.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Bolton.

Monday, May 2nd, 2011.

11:45 AM

John Bolton had just wrapped up an appearance at some kind of conservative conference or another - you know, the kind they'd air on C-SPAN 2 live in it's entirety. The phone rang, and it was Governor Romney; the mustachioed former UN Ambassador had no time for pleasantries. Ignoring the call, he instead made busy making plans of his own. As he drove to his Maryland home from the hotel in Washington, he quickly found himself speaking via Bluetooth with Boyd Rutherford, the former Assistant Administrator of the General Services Administration, a friend of his from Baltimore whom he’d become acquainted with during his time in the Bush administration.

“I want to run, Boyd, the party needs my voice more than ever. We can’t keep following Obama-ism like Ron Paul wants us to do.” “I agree, I agree” insisted Rutherford, “so when do you plan on entering the race?” “I went and picked up the FEC paperwork myself” replied Bolton, “I haven’t filled it out yet. I got David French signed on board as chairman this morning. All I need is someone to make sure the trains are on time. I think that’s you.”

“John, I’m humbled” began Rutherford, “but I have a job I’m happy with and I’m…” “You’re not sure I can win? I understand Boyd, I know I can’t win. I’m not running to win. I’m running to prove a point.” “How do you plan on doing that?” “By doing well enough to make the others talk what I’m talking about. I think I’d be out by October if I get in.” “So you want me to steer the ship until it gets to port?” “Exactly, that’s exactly what I need.” John ran his fingers through his whispy white moustache, thinking of his next trip to New Hampshire and the possibilities of a presidential run.

“Have you written a book?” Boyd asked, knowing that the pre-campaign book tour was now an inescapable part of the American presidential campaign process. “Well, I’ve written one a few years back and I’m planning on releasing an updated edition in a few months, maybe next year.” “I see” said Boyd, followed by a short silence. “Do you have a donor network in place?” “I have a lot of ties to CATO, and we will not a Romney budget, so we ought to be good.” “Will you be able to raise enough to pay me?” “Easily.” “Then we got a deal, John.”

“Excellent; I’m going to need you to line up a good digital consultant and have them get a website up by the end of the week. I’ve got an appearance lined up on Greta next week. I think I’ll announce there.” “When can we meet John?” “Can you swing by my house in Bethesda? Gretchen will cook us a good meal and we can go from there. David is going to come by too. We have a week to get this up and going, and we’ll hit the ground running.”

“Sounds good.”
Monday, May 2nd, 2011:
-The status of several missing American soldiers remains unclear; Pakistan insists that their actions were taken in self-defense and recalls the Pakistani Ambassador from Washington. The severing of diplomatic ties is a severe blow to the Obama administration.

-Reactions pour in from the international community; to the fury of the State Department's upper echelons, the reaction of the NATO allies in particular is disappointing as many take vague or half-hearted positions, while there is anger and indignation in the Middle East and third world at America's actions.

-Syrian troops launch surprise mass arrests across the country, taking hundreds of opposition figures into custody. This sparks further outrage across the country as protesters use social media to organize against the government of Bashar Al-Assad.

-Libyan tanks surround the rebel held city of Misrata, launching a consistent bombardment that reduces much of the city to rubble within a matter of hours. The attack is resisted forcefully by anti-Qaddafi rebels, who repel repeated attempts by Libyan forces to penetrate their defensive perimeter around the city and inflict heavy casualties on government forces.

-Federal elections are conducted in Canada; Prime Minister Stephen Harper is returned to office whilst the New Democrats surge to form the official opposition.

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011:
-Calls for the resignation of both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense Bob Gates grow as the circumstances surrounding the Abottabad disaster remains murky. Despite intense media speculation that the target was Osama Bin Laden, Secretary Clinton offers little beyond a vague statement, angering many in the press.

-Forces loyal to Qaddafi cut off food and water to the besieged town of Yafran, which like Misrata is under siege.

-British Foreign Secretary William Hague calls for further EU sanctions on Syria in response to the latest crackdown on anti-government demonstrators.
Wednesday, May 4th, 2011:
-Syrian troops open fire on student demonstrators at the University of Damascus, killing over 100 students according to reports. The Assad regime shuts down internet access across the capital city in order to stifle further protests.

-The International Criminal Court claims there are "reasonable grounds to believe" crimes against humanity are being committed by the Qaddafi regime as the Libyan civil war threatens to consume the longstanding regime.

-Amnesty International releases a damning report detailing conditions in North Korean gulags, citing witness testimony and showcasing satellite imagery to document the country's vast system of labor camps.

-Congressman Ron Paul schedules a rally in New Hampshire, where it is widely believed he will announce a third campaign for the Presidency.

Ron.

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011.

1:45 PM

A roar went up when Ron Paul entered the Student Union at a small community college in the Iowa town of Ottumwa, with chants of “President Paul! President Paul! President Paul!” The elderly man, though hardly frail, couldn’t help but be astonished at the amount of young people who would come out to see him. “It’s the message, not me” he repeated to himself in his head, practically like a mantra. It had kept him grounded when the rest of Washington started to lose their sense of purpose. And now it sustained him as he took his fight against Washington one more time. “What can I say? Freedom is popular!” Paul declared as he took to the stage. The reception he had received across Iowa was enough for him to make up his mind – he was running for President. He had formed an exploratory committee in April, and had raised record amounts of campaign cash in the form of small donations from his base of supporters. Paul briefly put his thoughts towards the future, but realizing that he still had a speech to give, put the ideas for his announcement out of his head.

“Our future is not in Iraq or Afghanistan” Paul lectured as the college aged audience begun whooping and hollering, “our future is in America, where the constitution still stands! We must be weary of our foreign entanglements, for we risk going the way of Rome!” A sign in the back held by a student read “Doctor Paul cured my apathy,” and Paul pointed out to the student as he spoke and acknowledged him with a nod as he spoke.

Doctor Paul – the Good Doctor, according to his most adoring fans, argued passionately for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, the evils of the Federal Reserve System and the virginal purity of sound money, and the growing threat of the federal surveillance state. The young students, all the foot soldiers of the Ron Paul revolution, were in a trance like awe in the presence of the only man they believed could cure Washington of its ills. He was a doctor after all.

“Nowhere is the battle for liberty more important than in the courts. The Supreme Court now is going to take up this healthcare mandate. We have a Supreme Court determining key constitutional questions through the lens of how big they can grow government. We truly need at this time more than ever true constitutionalists on the court. I know, I know, the statists, you know, they like to point to the interstate commerce clause, and for the last one hundred years or so they’ve been doing what they want with that. So we can’t just stop the expansion of government – we need to shrink it too. And the best way to do that is by appointing constitutionalist judges.”

“In the past ten years, the debt has exploded by four trillion because of the wars going on. This isn’t just a moral issue, its an economic issue. There’s a great debate in foreign policy, but the conversation is “what country do we invade next?” They try and write us off as being isolationists. But I don’t know many isolationists who want to open up trade and travel with Cuba.”

The speech continued, the crowd never losing their enthusiasm or interest, despite being ignored by every news outlet. The event was only broadcast on C-SPAN, which was fairly routine for the candidate, but he could sense there was something happening. The media wasn’t fooling anybody. The youth were really tuned into his message. They were tired of politics as usual, and there was a revolution brewing amongst them. Little did Doctor Paul know that another candidate was waiting in the wings, ready to steal his thunder.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Thursday, May 5th, 2011:
-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cancels a trip to Rome (instead sending her outgoing Deputy James Steinberg) in the wake of the failed Abottabad raid after Pakistan promises "a major announcement" in the coming days about negotiations to release a number of American Navy SEALs which have been underway for over four days.

-The Syrian army launches a major effort to secure the rebel hotbed of Homs, where they brutally suppress dissent and arrest hundreds of dissidents (many of whom are never seen from or heard from again).

-British voters overwhelmingly vote to retain the first-past-the-post electoral system in a major blow to the Liberal Democratic Party, who have been propping up David Cameron's Conservative government.

-The first Republican debate is conducted in South Carolina; it is broadcast and sponsored by Fox News.

Thursday, May 5th, 2011: First GOP debate.

BRET BAIER: Good evening, and welcome to the first Republican debate, sponsored by Fox News and the Republican Party of South Carolina. I’d like to now introduce the candidates. Tonight, we have businessman Herman Cain, former Governor Gary Johnson, former Governor Tim Pawlenty, Congressman Ron Paul, former Governor Mitt Romney, and former Senator Rick Santorum. Here’s the format for our debate tonight, each candidate will be asked a series of questions on foreign and domestic issues. Answers are limited to one minute each, if we decide rebuttal time is needed, that will be 30 seconds. We have green, yellow and red lights to help the candidates keep track of their time and if an answer runs long, candidates and everyone else will hear this sound…there it is.

(Audience applause)

We ask our large and enthusiastic audience to please limit applause during the question and answer portion of the debate, so we can devote as much time as possible to the candidates. Now let’s get started, Governor Pawlenty. President Obama has faced near universal criticism for the failed mission in Abottabad. Would you have ordered the raid as President?

TIM PAWLENTY: Well, Bret, thanks first of all to you, Fox News, and the South Carolina Republican Party for hosting us tonight. I’m very pleased to be here. I’m not very pleased about the grim reality that we face tonight. The Commander-in-Chief is too unfit for command, as we have seen in Abottabad. The raid was a complete disaster, and President Obama’s micromanaging nature is entirely to blame. Our brave eighteen SEALS were released yesterday by Pakistan, who knowingly shot down our helicopters in a –

BRET BAIER: That’s a bold claim.

TIM PAWLENTY: - it was a bold act by a nation that pretends to be our ally; do we really believe the Pakistanis? Do we really believe the ISI, which funds and supports the Haqqani network? That Bin Laden was living in the shadow of their military’s top academy all that time unknown? And yet, Obama apologizes to this nation. We ought to be severing diplomatic ties and labeling them a state sponsor of terror! This is a travesty!

BRET BAIER: Senator Santorum you said Monday President Obama has made the country less safe and his policies have made America’s enemies “less fearful and less respectful” of us. But when it comes to going after terrorists for example, drone attacks in Pakistan have more than tripled under president Obama, he sent 30,000 more US troops into Afghanistan last year and he just authorized” as we talked about this….albeit failed….this attempted mission to kill Bin Laden, how much more aggressive could he be?

RICK SANTORUM: If you look at what president Obama has done right in foreign policy, it is always been a continuation of the Bush policies. He’s gone right by keeping Gitmo open, he’s done right by finishing the job in Iraq, and he has done right by trying to enter into Afghanistan. Those were existing policies that were in place, the decision he made with Osama Bin Laden was a tactical decision, not a strategic decision. Which is why we lost those 32 men. Obama has their blood on his hands tonight.

On the same hand, the strategic decision was made already by President Bush to go after him, what president Obama has done on his watch, the issues that have come up while he’s been president, he’s got it wrong strategically every single time, whether it’s in Central America, Colombia and Honduras, whether it’s in the Middle East, with Egypt, with Syria and most importantly with Iran.

BRET BAIER: Governor Romney, would you have ordered the mission in Pakistan?

MITT ROMNEY: I take President Obama at his word. This was a tough call –

(Audience boos)

MITT ROMNEY: - a tough call that had to be made. The intervention of the Pakistanis failed the mission, not the President. I have plenty of criticisms of the President, but trying to kill the mastermind of 9/11 will never be among them.

BRET BAIER: But that begs the question Governor Romney, how would the Pakistanis-

MITT ROMNEY: The Pakistanis have been given a choice: pick a side. They can’t seem to make up their minds. Well my mind is made up, and so was President Bush’s: Pakistan is either for us or against us. It is high time a final ultimatum is made to Pakistan, so we can deal with their government accordingly. Should they refuse any further cooperation, then we’ll have no choice but to label their government a state sponsor of terrorism.

BRET BAIER: Congressman Paul, you have wanted to pull US troops out of Afghanistan for years, in fact you said on the House floor about the US military’s efforts in Afghanistan: “whose interest do we serve by continuing this exercise in futility?” So if President Paul had been running things and troops were already out of Afghanistan, wouldn’t that mean that Osama Bin Laden would be alive today anyway?

RON PAUL: Absolutely not, I mean he wasn’t caught in Afghanistan, nation building in Afghanistan and telling those people how to live and getting involved in running their country hardly had anything to do with finding the information, where he was being held in a country that we give billions of dollars of foreign aid to, at the same time we’re bombing that country. So it’s the policy that’s at fault, no not having the troops in Afghanistan wouldn’t have hurt. But we went to Afghanistan to get him and he hasn’t been there, so I hope we can now reassess it and get the troops out of Afghanistan and end that war that hasn’t helped us and hasn’t helped anybody in the Middle East.

BRET BAIER: Mr. Cain about Afghanistan, you recently said this: “if the experts, the generals, the joint chiefs of staff, if they believe we can win, I’m not going to tear up the plan they give me. I’m going to execute the plan, if we can’t win, I want to know what we can do to exit with dignity out of that country.” You’re running for president after almost ten years in Afghanistan, you don’t have your own plan yet about what you would do in Afghanistan?

HERMAN CAIN: No because it’s not clear what the mission is, that’s the bigger problem. It’s not clear what the mission is, it’s not real clear to the American people what our interests are and the thirdly it’s not clear what the road map to victory is and what does that mean? This is why I would revisit the issue in defining those three critical questions, asking those questions before I as president made a decision. Because before I make a decision to send men and women in uniform into battle, I want to make sure we know what the objective is clearly, that we clearly know how it serves our interest either at home or abroad and thirdly, what is our road map to victory?

BRET BAIER: But sir, how would you define winning in Afghanistan right now as you’re looking at it as a candidate?

HERMAN CAIN: My point is, the experts and their advice and their input would be the basis for me making that decision. I’m not privileged to a lot of confidential information since I’m not in government and I’m not in the administration, one of the things that I’ve always prided myself on is making an informed decision based upon knowing all of the facts and at this point, I don’t know all the facts but that’s the process that I would use. Make sure that we’re working on the right problem, make sure that we set the right priorities relative to Afghanistan and every other country, thirdly make sure we get the advice from the right people and then put those plans into place.

BRET BAIER: Governor Johnson, you have said, you are an advocate of getting out of Afghanistan tomorrow. You’ve also said that you’d support a democratic plan to establish a timetable with an end date for withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan. Are you worried at all about providing a specific end date and that possibly would enable the Taliban to move in the day after the US troops left?

GARY JOHNSON: Well, first of all, I’m not in favor of a timetable, I’m in belief that that timetable should be tomorrow and I realize that tomorrow may involve several months. I was opposed to us going into Iraq from the beginning, I really thought that there was no threat to our national security, I really thought that if we went into Iraq we would find ourselves in a civil war to which there would be no end and I thought we had the military surveillance capability to see Iraq rollout any weapons of mass destruction and if they would have done that, we could have gone in and dealt with that. Afghanistan originally, I was completely supportive of that, we were attacked, we attacked back, that’s what our military is for and after six months, I think we pretty effectively taken care of Al Qaeda.

But that was 10 years ago, we’re building roads, schools, bridges and highways in Iraq and Afghanistan and we’re borrowing 43 cents out of every dollar to do that. In my opinion, this is crazy and then looking at Libya right now, I’m a position right now where I’m issuing opinions on everything right away, my opinion on Libya is I’m opposed to A through Z.
Friday, May 6th, 2011:
-Al Qaida releases a statement confirming that Osama Bin Laden is "alive and well" in the aftermath of the Abottabad raid, further fueling speculation that the target of the raid was the 9/11 mastermind. Neither the Pentagon nor Pakistan will confirm this.

-Iran's firebrand President Ahmadinejad fines himself in a political row with Ayatollah Khamenei after the Supreme Leader intervened in the President's constitutional duty to make cabinet appointments. When Ahmadinejad questions the Ayatollah's actions, he finds himself facing an ultimatum: accept the Ayatollah's actions or resigns. Ahmadinejad very seriously considers the latter before ultimately deciding to stay in place, his standing among Iranian Islamists and conservatives being considerably weakened as a result of the brouhaha.

Saturday, May 7th, 2011: Death toll in Pakistan operation rises to 30.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: A spokesperson for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan confirmed that 32 Navy Seals were killed when their helicopters were shot down by Pakistani military forces last week; a further eighteen were taken into custody and promptly released due to the efforts of Secretary of State Clinton in exchange for an official apology and the promise to coordinate all military and counter-terrorism operations in Pakistani territory with the nation’s government in the future.

The result of the raid will have severe consequences according to many observers; former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times that the failed mission will result in the Obama administration “ceding all moral authority to engage in necessary operations within Pakistan,” a situation he believes to be “catastrophic.” Though Kissinger did not speculate on the true nature of the target, he noted that the raid, whether or not it was intended to result in the capture or elimination of Osama Bin Laden, is a “historic propaganda coup.” Former Carter administration National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski was also critical of the raid, opining that the decision by Secretary Gates to withdrawal additional aerial support as “ludicrous,” comparing the fiasco to the Bay of Pigs.

Criticism withstanding, the latest rounds of leaks from the besieged White House paint a portrait of a chaotic, divided administration. Vice President Biden reportedly expressed skepticism at the planned raid on multiple occasions, warning the President that he was risking his Presidency and needed an exit plan. House Speaker John Boehner has confirmed that Congressman Mike Rogers (R-MI), Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, will hold a series of hearings and call members of the administration to testify starting next month.

Monday, May 9th, 2011: New polling shows Obama popularity plummeting.

Barack Obama: Approval Rating (Gallup).
Disapprove: 57%
Approve: 32%
Neutral: 11%

Joe Biden: Approval Rating (Gallup).
Approve: 44%
Disapprove: 43%
Neutral: 13%

Hillary Clinton: Approval Rating (Gallup).
Disapprove: 47%
Approve: 29%
Neutral: 24%

2012 Republican Presidential Nomination (CNN)
Mitt Romney: 19%
Mike Huckabee: 15%
Donald Trump: 14%
Sarah Palin: 11%
Newt Gingrich: 9%
Rudy Giuliani: 7%
Ron Paul: 6%
Tim Pawlenty: 5%
Herman Cain: 4%
Mitch Daniels: 4%
Jon Huntsman: 3%
Gary Johnson: 1%
Rick Santorum: 1%
John Bolton: 1%

Presidential Matchups (Suffolk University)
Mitt Romney: 44%
Barack Obama: 36%
Undecided/Other: 20%

Barack Obama: 42%
Mike Huckabee: 40%
Undecided/Other: 18%

Barack Obama: 49%
Donald Trump: 26%
Undecided/Other: 25%

Barack Obama: 52%
Sarah Palin: 28%
Undecided/Other: 20%

Barack Obama: 45%
Newt Gingrich: 32%
Undecided/Other: 23%

Rudy Giuliani: 50%
Barack Obama: 42%
Undecided/Other: 8%

Barack Obama: 46%
Ron Paul: 35%
Undecided/Other: 19%

Tim Pawlenty: 45%
Barack Obama: 42%
Undecided/Other: 13%

Barack Obama: 46%
Herman Cain: 35%
Undecided/Other: 19%

Mitch Daniels: 42%
Barack Obama: 41%
Undecided/Other: 17%

Jon Huntsman: 37%
Barack Obama: 35%
Undecided/Other: 28%

Barack Obama: 49%
Rick Santorum: 27%
Undecided/Other: 24%

Barack Obama: 39%
Undecided/Other: 34%
John Bolton: 27%

Obama: 201 Electoral Votes.
Swing State: 172 Electoral Votes.
Republican: 261 Electoral Votes.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Barack Obama: Approval Rating (Gallup).
Disapprove: 57%
Approve: 32%
Neutral: 11%

Joe Biden: Approval Rating (Gallup).
Approve: 44%
Disapprove: 43%
Neutral: 13%

Hillary Clinton: Approval Rating (Gallup).
Disapprove: 47%
Approve: 29%
Neutral: 24%

2012 Republican Presidential Nomination (CNN)
Mitt Romney: 19%
Mike Huckabee: 15%
Donald Trump: 14%
Sarah Palin: 11%
Newt Gingrich: 9%
Rudy Giuliani: 7%
Ron Paul: 6%
Tim Pawlenty: 5%
Herman Cain: 4%
Mitch Daniels: 4%
Jon Huntsman: 3%
Gary Johnson: 1%
Rick Santorum: 1%
John Bolton: 1%

Presidential Matchups (Suffolk University)
Mitt Romney: 44%
Barack Obama: 36%
Undecided/Other: 20%

Barack Obama: 42%
Mike Huckabee: 40%
Undecided/Other: 18%

Barack Obama: 49%
Donald Trump: 26%
Undecided/Other: 25%

Barack Obama: 52%
Sarah Palin: 28%
Undecided/Other: 20%

Barack Obama: 45%
Newt Gingrich: 32%
Undecided/Other: 23%

Rudy Giuliani: 50%
Barack Obama: 42%
Undecided/Other: 8%

Barack Obama: 46%
Ron Paul: 35%
Undecided/Other: 19%

Tim Pawlenty: 45%
Barack Obama: 42%
Undecided/Other: 13%

Barack Obama: 46%
Herman Cain: 35%
Undecided/Other: 19%

Mitch Daniels: 42%
Barack Obama: 41%
Undecided/Other: 17%

Jon Huntsman: 37%
Barack Obama: 35%
Undecided/Other: 28%

Barack Obama: 49%
Rick Santorum: 27%
Undecided/Other: 24%

Barack Obama: 39%
Undecided/Other: 34%
John Bolton: 27%

Obama's approval rating at 32% yet candidates that beat him in hypothetical polls IRL are losing to him now?

The situations still fluid - the question now is a) was UBL the target, and b) can Obama obtain the release of the captured Navy Seals. Plus Sarah Palin or even Trump isn’t going to take a lead over Obama overnight like Romney would.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Barack Obama: Approval Rating (Gallup).
Disapprove: 57%
Approve: 32%
Neutral: 11%

Joe Biden: Approval Rating (Gallup).
Approve: 44%
Disapprove: 43%
Neutral: 13%

Hillary Clinton: Approval Rating (Gallup).
Disapprove: 47%
Approve: 29%
Neutral: 24%

2012 Republican Presidential Nomination (CNN)
Mitt Romney: 19%
Mike Huckabee: 15%
Donald Trump: 14%
Sarah Palin: 11%
Newt Gingrich: 9%
Rudy Giuliani: 7%
Ron Paul: 6%
Tim Pawlenty: 5%
Herman Cain: 4%
Mitch Daniels: 4%
Jon Huntsman: 3%
Gary Johnson: 1%
Rick Santorum: 1%
John Bolton: 1%

Presidential Matchups (Suffolk University)
Mitt Romney: 44%
Barack Obama: 36%
Undecided/Other: 20%

Barack Obama: 42%
Mike Huckabee: 40%
Undecided/Other: 18%

Barack Obama: 49%
Donald Trump: 26%
Undecided/Other: 25%

Barack Obama: 52%
Sarah Palin: 28%
Undecided/Other: 20%

Barack Obama: 45%
Newt Gingrich: 32%
Undecided/Other: 23%

Rudy Giuliani: 50%
Barack Obama: 42%
Undecided/Other: 8%

Barack Obama: 46%
Ron Paul: 35%
Undecided/Other: 19%

Tim Pawlenty: 45%
Barack Obama: 42%
Undecided/Other: 13%

Barack Obama: 46%
Herman Cain: 35%
Undecided/Other: 19%

Mitch Daniels: 42%
Barack Obama: 41%
Undecided/Other: 17%

Jon Huntsman: 37%
Barack Obama: 35%
Undecided/Other: 28%

Barack Obama: 49%
Rick Santorum: 27%
Undecided/Other: 24%

Barack Obama: 39%
Undecided/Other: 34%
John Bolton: 27%

Obama's approval rating at 32% yet candidates that beat him in hypothetical polls IRL are losing to him now?

The situations still fluid - the question now is a) was UBL the target, and b) can Obama obtain the release of the captured Navy Seals. Plus Sarah Palin or even Trump isn’t going to take a lead over Obama overnight like Romney would.

Talking about candidates who were leading Obama regardless of Obama's unpopularity in this TL, like Mike Huckabee.

I don’t recall that but I’ll take a second look.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Boehner.

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011.

3:25 PM

Being Speaker of the House was not easy, especially when the Republican caucus was as fractured as it was. But John Boehner was not ready to throw in the towel. Just six months ago, he led the House GOP to victory, taking back the majority after four years of Democratic control. Now, old divisions and new members threatened to take the reclaimed Republican majority back into the throes of chaos. Now, he was facing the first true test of his leadership. This was his first opportunity to claim the mantle of leader of the opposition to the embattled Obama presidency. The debt ceiling debate would be the perfect opportunity to bring the spendthrift administration to heel at long last.

Negotiations with Vice President Biden were rocky; while both parties agreed that a debt ceiling increase was unavoidable, Boehner was under pressure from the Tea Party wing of the Republican caucus to push for austere spending cuts. This had made a deal virtually impossible for the duration of the buildup to the crisis, and now with time running out,

“John, how are you?” asked Biden, trying his best to be affable. “I’m doing well Mr. Vice President” Boehner replied, ushering the nation’s second most powerful man into his office. “The caucus hasn’t eaten you alive yet?” asked Biden with the airs of arrogance, but Boehner brushed aside the slight. “On the contrary, Joe, we’re more united than ever. We have given you our demands. The ball is in our court. Tell the President that we won’t be budging on this one.”

“No, you don’t understand” implored the Vice President, “we don’t have the times to play games man! We’re going over the fiscal cliff and you guys are going to take us back into the ing depression for what? For politics? Where has your soul gone? Where is your sense of patriotism?” Boehner stewed behind his desk, his face turning from a shade of orange to red. “I resent that” he finally said, “it’s clear to me that we’re just going to have to agree to disagree Joe. You didn’t come for a meeting. You came to regurgitate your demands. I’m not wasting my time any further.”

Biden turned and left, snapping his fingers at his Secret Service retinue to assume position as he stormed through the door. Walking through the halls of the Capitol, the awaiting press were taken aback as the Vice President’s entourage exited the speaker’s office mere minutes after they had first arrived. Andrea Mitchell of NBC, herself no spring chicken, thrusted herself and her tape recorder into Biden’s face as a camera hovered over them. “Mr. Vice President, has a deal been reached?” she asked, “just ask John” replied Biden with a searing smile, “I want to hear his explanation for this myself!”

Barreling towards his motorcade surrounded by a plethora of Secret Service Agents, the Vice President pulled out his cellphone to make a call he knew was coming. “Mr. President, there was no deal. There was no meeting. Tell Tim to start shuttering the Treasury, we’re heading towards the cliff.” “FINKs. FINKs!” Obama raged. At that moment, Valerie Jarrett burst into the office, having witnessed Mitchell and Biden’s exchange on MSNBC as it happened live. But hearing the President’s anger, she knew she was too late. The bad news had already reached him.
Note to readers: Using INKs to censor profanity is an old Atlas joke that is underused these days.
Tuesday, May 10th, 2011:
-Heavy fighting between rebels and Qaddafi forces near Misrata's airport sees Fox's Geraldo Rivera caught up in the crossfire during a live broadcast. The siege of the city by regime forces has resulted in high civilian casualties as the fighting continues.

-In response to the carnage in Misrata, NATO jets strike targets in and around Tripoli. The attacks cripple Qaddafi's defense installations surrounding the capital city of Libya, which the allied powers hope will force him to divert resources and manpower.

-Standard and Poors downgrade Greek bonds to junk status as EU officials warn a second bailout might be necessary to keep the country afloat.

-Politico reports that Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, is "hours away" from announcing his candidacy for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012.

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011: Newt Gingrich launches 2012 campaign.

ATLANTA, GA: Promising to “return America to hope and opportunity,” Newt Gingrich confirmed his intentions to seek the presidential nomination of the Republican Party in a video message released on his website and social media. The former House Speaker’s campaign has been plagued by several early gaffes, ranging from an awkward and nearly aborted announcement of the formation of an exploratory committee to criticisms of Paul Ryan’s agenda for Medicare and Medicaid reform. Expensive purchases at Tiffany’s in New York and a luxurious two week Mediterranean cruise further damaged his campaign, with many in the media unsure if he was actually running or not in the wake of the botched rollout.

The delayed official entry of Gingrich into the Republican field makes him the third candidate to have officially taken the plunge, despite a number of candidates formally exploring bids. Gingrich joins former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and former UN Ambassador John Bolton in an increasingly widening field. Ready to take on President Obama, whose approval ratings suddenly have dropped off dramatically in the wake of the field Pakistan operation believed to have been targeting Bin Laden, Gingrich believes he can overcome past controversies to steamroll his way to the nomination.

To follow his announcement, Gingrich will make a speech to Georgia’s Republican grassroots at an event in Atlanta, before traveling to Iowa where he intends to spend a week blitzing the state in order to begin building his campaign operation ahead of the caucuses next year. Media reports are speculating that Congressman Ron Paul will announce his candidacy in New Hampshire on Friday, while Governor Huckabee has indicated he’ll make clear his intentions on the end of his regularly scheduled Fox broadcast on Saturday night. Businessman Donald Trump has scheduled two previously unannounced visits to New Hampshire tomorrow as well, making it evident that he has come closer to a final decision.

Gates.

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011.

2:00 PM

The Secretary of Defense straightened his tie as he prepared to face the inevitable; the President had summoned him to the Oval Office, and he had already brought along a resignation letter that he had written before the Pakistan mission’s failure. He never hoped to see the letter again once he put it in the envelope. Now he had to hand it to the President, watch him read it, and then at last watch him act on the resignation. It was a bitter end to a happy career. As he waited patiently to be shepherded into the Oval Office, Valerie Jarrett approached. “Mr. Secretary” she said in practically a low whisper, “the President will see you know.”

President Obama sat behind the desk of the Oval Office, his hands folded and his elbows resting on the edge. He looked pensive, somber, and exhausted. “Secretary Gates” he begun, “this is very hard for me. I’m sorry.” The President reached forward and Secretary Gates handed him the resignation letter. The President opened it and briefly read it, before returning his gaze to the Secretary. “I’m sorry to see you go” sighed the President, “you understand.” Gates nodded. “Do you have any idea as to whom I will be replaced with” Gates asked. “We’re thinking of Tom Donilon. Panetta was our first choice but he’s now damaged goods. Wesley Clark has been pushed by Secretary Clinton. We’re probably going with Tom Donilon though.” “I see” Gates nodded, “you’re leaving the Pentagon in good hands.” “Well, I’m sure you have some things to take care of Robert” said Obama, picking the phone up into his hand. The Secretary – whose resignation was scheduled to take effect within twenty two hours, took his leave from the Oval Office and quietly left the White House for the last time through a back exit, where he was whisked away to the Pentagon.

On the ride back, Gates weighed his career in the eyes of history. Though it had been brought to a tragic and abrupt end after the aborted Abottabad raid, there were still plenty of successes to be celebrated. He had overseen the reconstruction and the beginning of the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. In war torn Afghanistan, he had brought the Taliban insurgency to a standstill and had largely eliminated the last remnants of Al Qaida active in the country. The war on terror, despite the Abbottabad failure, was rolling towards a low scale plateau, a seeming lull in the Islamist insurgencies. One day, Gates knew, they would be crush once and for all.

He had only one regret. He wouldn’t be there for it.
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011:
-Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana signs legislation restricting abortion; though fairly moderate on the whole, the decision to sign the bill is viewed by many observers as a signal that the Governor is trying to shore up his credentials among socially conservative voters who might otherwise be skeptical of his record.

-Opposition forces in Libya seize the critical airport at Misrata from Qaddafi forces, halting the dictator's attempts to encircle the city and cut off the rebel forces their from the remaining opposition forces.

-Congressman Ron Paul, who had formed an exploratory committee in April and scheduled a rally in Exeter, New Hampshire (where it is widely expected that he will launch a third presidential campaign) arrives in the Granite State to address a Free State Project gathering. The speech to the controversial libertarian group will haunt Paul in the press as the hours tick towards his anticipated campaign announcement.

-The White House announces the resignation of Secretary of Defense Bob Gates as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in Abottabad to secure the release of eighteen detained American servicemen. The Secretary is allowed to visit with the detainees briefly, and she describes both the conditions of their health and detainment as "satisfactory."
Thursday, May 12th, 2011:
-Venezuela begins rationing electricity, causing blackouts in large swathes of the country. President Chavez blames CIA saboteurs for the electrical grid's weaknesses.

-For the first time in two weeks, Qaddafi appears on Libyan television. He denounces NATO in a typically vitriolic and longwinded speech. Later that evening, more airstrikes are conducted in Tripoli, where the North Korean embassy sustains minor damage during one of the raids.

-Reuters reports that a long-planned offering of a portion of the US Treasury's equity interest in giant insurance company American International Group may be indefinitely postponed because the price of AIG stock has fallen to near the Treasury's break-even point.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Ron.

Friday, May 13th, 2011:

Exeter, NH.

Congressman Paul announces his campaign in Exeter, New Hampshire.

"I have one update about our revolution; the revolution is spreading, steadily growing, and building momentum. Our time has come-this moment can be ours if we so choose to seize it. A lot of other work has been done. It's been the intellectual work. I am convinced that a nation does not change just for partisan political reasons. What has to happen is there has to be an intellectual revolution to energize people and get people to understand the problems from morally grounded terms as well as political policy.

That is what has been happening now for quite a few decades. There's quite a bit of difference about attitudes about economics and foreign policy today than there was in 1976 when I was first elected. There's a big difference, and it involves a lot of work from a lot of people. And now that so many people in this country have come to understand that government. They can now see through its pretense that it can take care of us from cradle to grave and police the world; it is now evident to this growing number of people that government isn't the solution, but that government really has created the problem.

And what our opponents so often we like to do is say oh, you people don't even want any government. But you know in our society with our Constitution there is a role for government. But the Constitution wasn't written explicitly to restrain your behavior and your life and the way you spend your money. It was written to restrain the federal government.

But because of the educational effort and the work that so many have done, and also the strong evidence that there is a failure out there, especially since we saw what happened with predictable events such as the housing bubble burst. It did as the Austrian free market economists had predicted. And because of all this they have come together and people are now listening to this revolutionary spirit that is spreading across this country!

It's great that I am able to announce in this state, a very special state, because there is so high respect for the spirit of liberty here, so I am very, very pleased that I am once again able to say that I am a candidate for the presidency in the Republican Party primary!"
Friday, May 13th, 2011:
-Former Senator George Mitchell of Maine resigns from his post as President Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East; though President Obama praises Mitchell’s work and contributions to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Mitchell is privately exasperated by the Israeli Prime Minister’s intransigence on Israeli settlement on the West Bank.

-Three people are killed and 18 others are wounded as troops shoot at medics, witnesses and people protesting against the Saleh regime in Ibb, Taizz and Sanaa, though Saleh remains defiant. Qatar withdraws from mediation efforts, saying Saleh has been full of "indecision and delays."

-Syria closes all universities and orders military checkpoints in urban areas in order to curb growing protests against the Assad regime as the nation teeters on civil war with Libya.

-Former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak and his wife Suzanne are detained on corruption allegations; Suzanne Mubarak is hospitalized shortly thereafter due to a heart attack.
Saturday, May 14th, 2011:
-The International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for Muammar Qaddafi on crimes against humanity charges; the indictment specifically cites the massacre of protesters, air strikes against civilians, and murder of political opponents among other war crimes.

-Soldiers in Yemen mutiny against the Saleh regime, further complicating the already increasingly unstable situation in the country. Saleh rails against “agitators” and “anti-patriotic elements” in a rambling, televised speech to the country before turning the Republican Guard on the revolting soldiers, sparking a shootout in the capital city.

-Musician Bob Dylan comes under fire for allegedly censoring his own lyrics at the request of the Chinese government after touring the country. Dylan denies the allegations.

-North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il’s son Kim Jong Un – widely viewed as the heir to his father – relaxes restrictions on women’s fashion in North Korea as he begins to slowly assert his power. Kim Jong Un’s decision sparks speculation that he will be a more reform minded leader than his ailing father.

-Secretary of State Clinton inks an agreement with Pakistan to secure the release of eighteen American servicemen. The Navy Seals, who all claim to be held under relatively decent conditions, were interrogated but not tortured – none revealed any classified information, and fearing the growing diplomatic rift with the United States, the Pakistani government decides to release them into US custody. This comes hours after the Pakistani parliament adopts a resolution calling on President Obama to cease all air and drone strikes within Pakistan, with President Asif Al-Zardari threatening to expel US military bases from the country.

-Fox News announces Governor Mike Huckabee will make a “major announcement” on his weekend Fox show.

Mike.

Saturday, May 14th, 2011:

Washington, DC.

Huckabee announces the end of his weekend variety show on Fox as he mounts a second presidential campaign.

“If I were to pursue a bid for the Presidency, I’d start from a prime positon to win. That is what all of the polls show. All signs say there is no reason to say no, and my heart is saying: “go!” And so that’s the decision I made tonight; this will be my final broadcast, and I’ll be filing with the FEC as a candidate next week. Thank you for standing by me for these many years; I promise that whatever path God takes me, I’ll stand by you just the same. Good night, God bless, and thank you.”

NEW YORK, NY: On the set of his live (and final) broadcast of his Fox show “Huckabee,” former Arkansas Governor and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee announced his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States. Just an hour after his statement concluding his show, Huckabee was again on the air live with Geraldo Rivera, where he detailed his decision on a second presidential bid, and his plans to challenge the Obama administration and Governor Romney on values issues and healthcare policy.

Huckabee is virtually tied with possible candidate Donald Trump for second place in the polls behind Governor Romney, who is the frontrunner and expected to formally announce his candidacy in a few weeks. With solid support in the south and among evangelicals, Huckabee will likely have to compete with prospective candidates like Herman Cain and Sarah Palin for the support of the increasingly strong Tea Party faction of the party.

Iowa is in Huckabee’s sights, where he intends to replicate his 2008 win over Governor Romney once again. Hoping the first caucus could propel him to the nomination, Huckabee stresses that his outsider status, executive experience, and more populist oriented economic policies will make him the strongest candidate to take on a vulnerable incumbent in next year’s general election.
Sunday, May 15th, 2011:
-Former Governor Mike Huckabee appears on Meet the Press in his campaign debut, where he lashes out at Governor Romney. “The voters want a true conservative” warns Huckabee, “not just the next in line.”

-The rift between Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Khamenei grows worse when the Ayatollah accuses Ahmadinejad of being “under a spell” during a particularly harsh speech.

-In the wake of the growing rift between Pakistan and the US, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergay Lavrov arrives in Islamabad to court the Pakistani government. Lavrov promises technical and military aid to Pakistan in their “struggle against terrorism,” though in reality Putin eyes weakening the American position in Afghanistan in order to effect a quicker withdrawal.

-Dominque Stass-Kahn, head of the International Monetary Fund, is arrested at JFK International Airport on charges of sexual assault after a hotel maid lodged a complaint with police

Sunday, May 15th, 2011: Geithner to order emergency debt-ceiling measures.

NEW YORK, NY: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner met with several leading figures in the financial sector in New York to discuss the plans of the Treasury Department to sell off assets belonging to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund in order to vanquish concerns over whether or not the United States could possibly hit the so called “debt-ceiling” that restricts borrowing. The plan is a short term measure needed in order for the Federal Government to raise enough revenue until a debt-ceiling raise can be reached.

The stopgap measure puts further pressure on both the Congress and administration to reach an agreement before the United States risks a credit downgrade. Talks between the Vice President and Republican Congressional figures have broken down, with Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) leaving the so called “Gang of Six” in protest of the Republican demands for spending cuts not being sufficiently met. The Republican controlled House has threatened to vote down any budget that doesn’t impose enough cuts to offset the raise in the debt ceiling, while Democratic Senators are pushing for tax increases to be considered as well.

Though the crisis has three months left before a final solution is reached, the President has expressed frustration with the Republican controlled House for what he has deemed “obstruction.” Congressional leaders in both parties, on the other hand, have also vented their own disgruntlement with the President, with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) lambasting President Obama “for putting principle and the working people on the back-burner” to the applause of some other progressive minded members of Congress, who feel the administration is bending too easily to the Republican House majority’s demands.
Monday, May 16th, 2011:
-As dawn breaks, the major TV news networks interrupt their programing to report on Donald Trump, who has scheduled a major announcement at 11:30 AM at Trump Tower.

-Stocks tumble as news of Timothy Geithner’s efforts to starve off the debt-ceiling crisis leak to the press.

The Donald.

Monday, May 16th, 2011:

New York City, NY.

Trump announces his candidacy at Trump Tower in New York.

"Wow, wow, wow. What a group of people! Tremendous! Thousands of people!

So nice, thank you very much. That’s really nice. Thank you. It’s great to be at Trump Tower. It’s great to be in a wonderful city, New York. And it’s an honor to have everybody here. This is beyond anybody’s expectations. There’s been no crowd like this.

I tell you, some of the candidates went in, they had no crowds. They couldn’t get one! Could you see Mitt Romney getting all of these fine folks out to some rally? Forget about it! They had to do video announcements for their exploratory committees. Folks, I’m just jumping right in. There is nothing to explore.

Our country is in serious trouble. We don’t have victories anymore. We used to have victories, but we don’t have them. When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let’s say, China in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time. All. The. Time.

When did we beat Japan at anything? They send their cars over by the millions, and what do we do? When was the last time you saw a Chevrolet in Tokyo? It doesn’t exist, folks. They beat us all the time. When do we beat Mexico at the border? They’re laughing at us, at our stupidity. And now they are beating us economically. They are not our friend, believe me. But they’re killing us economically.

The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems.

Thank you. It’s true, and these are the best and the finest. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we’re getting. And it only makes common sense. It only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people. It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably-probably- from the Middle East. But we don’t know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don’t know what’s happening. And it’s got to stop and it’s got to stop fast.

I said seven or eight years ago, don’t take out Iraq. And look what’s happened. We pulled out and the Iranians are pushing in, and if the Iranians take over, Al Qaida will. And folks, believe me, Bin Laden, he isn’t dead. He should be dead, we had him, but he’s still here. It’s almost even worse than if somehow the President was working with Bin Laden! ‘Who’d have thunk it! We get the dirty bastard at long last, think this is it, we’ve bagged him, and then….and then he gets away! I don’t know what the press may call it, but we on the outside of the beltway call it sheer stupidity.

We spent $2 trillion in Iraq, $2 trillion. We lost thousands of lives, thousands in Iraq. We have wounded soldiers, who I love, I love-they’re great- all over the place, thousands and thousands of wounded soldiers. And we have nothing. We can’t even go there. We have nothing. And every time we give Iraq equipment, the first time a bullet goes off in the air, they leave it.

We have eight percent unemployment, but believe me, it is much, much higher. Foreclosures are at an all time high! Trust me, go down to Florida, go down to Port Saint Lucie. It’s a ghost town down there! Thank God they have a Republican governor trying to fix the mess. But we need more than that. We need jobs. We need to cut the spending. We need real healthcare reform that works for working Americans. We need to secure our border and build a wall. We need to get out of Afghanistan and get back into Iraq before Iran does. And most importantly, we need a Republican President next year.

Now, I’m a free trader. But the problem with free trade is you need really talented people to negotiate for you. If you don’t have talented people, if you don’t have great leadership, if you don’t have people that know business, not just a political hack that got the job because he made a contribution to a campaign, which is the way all jobs, just about, are gotten, free trade terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people, but we have people that are stupid. We have people that aren’t smart. And we have people that are controlled by special interests. And it’s just not going to work.

So, here’s a couple of stories happened recently. A friend of mine is a great manufacturer. And, you know, China comes over and they dump all their stuff, and I buy it. I buy it, because, frankly, I have an obligation to buy it, because they devalue their currency so brilliantly, they just did it recently, and nobody thought they could do it again.

But with all our problems with Russia, with all our problems with everything- everything, they got away with it again. And it’s impossible for our people here to compete.

So I want to tell you this story. A friend of mine who’s a great manufacturer, calls me up a few weeks ago. He’s very upset. I said, “What’s your problem?”

He said, “You know, I make great product.”

And I said, “I know. I know that because I buy the product.”

He said, “I can’t get it into China. They won’t accept it. I sent a boat over and they actually sent it back. They talked about environmental issues, they talked about all sorts of crap that had nothing to do with it.”

I said, “Oh, wait a minute, that’s terrible. Does anyone know this?”

He said, “Yeah, they do it all the time with other people.”

I said, “They send it back?”

“Yeah. So I finally got it over there and they charged me a big tariff. They’re not supposed to be doing that. I told them.”

Now, they do charge you tariff on trucks, when we send trucks and other things over there.

Ask Boeing. They wanted Boeing’s secrets. They wanted their patents and all their secrets before they agreed to buy planes from Boeing.

Hey, I’m not saying they’re stupid. I like China. I sell apartments for-I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them? I own a big chunk of the Bank of America Building at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, that I got from China in a war. Very valuable. I love China! The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower. I love China. People say, “Oh, you don’t like China?”

No, I love them! But their leaders are much smarter than our leaders, and we can’t sustain ourselves with that. There’s too much- it’s like- it’s like take the New England Patriots and Tom Brady and have them play your high school football team. That’s the difference between China’s leaders and our leaders. They are ripping us off bigly. We are rebuilding China. We’re rebuilding many countries. China, you go there now, roads, bridges, schools, you never saw anything like it. They have bridges that make the George Washington Bridge look like small potatoes. And they’re all over the place.

We have all the cards, but we don’t know how to use them. We don’t even know that we have the cards, because our leaders don’t understand the game. We could turn off that spigot by charging them tax until they behave properly.

Now they’re going militarily. They’re building a military island in the middle of the South China Sea. A military island! Now, our country could never do that because we’d have to get environmental clearance, and the environmentalist wouldn’t let our country-we would never build in an ocean. They built it in about one year, this massive military port.

They’re building up their military to a point that is very scary. You have a problem with Iran. You have a bigger problem with China. And, in my opinion, the new China, believe it or not, in terms of trade, is Mexico.

So this man tells me about the manufacturing. I say, “That’s a terrible story. I hate to hear it.”

And I could tell you the story, but you probably already know it. America needs a negotiator. A guy to get tough. And believe me, I am that guy. I will make America great again. That is why today I am announcing my candidacy for the Republican nomination for President.”
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011:
-Qaddafi’s oil minister defects to Tunisia in the latest sign that his regime’s grasp on power is starting to crumble.

-Prime Minister Yusuf Gilani of Pakistan embarks on a state visit to the People’s Republic of China, where he is hosted by Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing. This is the latest sign that Pakistan is slipping out of America’s orbit, which is bemoaned by former UN Ambassador (and potential presidential candidate) John Bolton amongst others.

-Queen Elizabeth II makes a state visit to Ireland, the first of her reign. She controversially meets a number of Irish politicians, including Gerry Adams, during the course of the visit. The Queen’s testy remarks to Adams upon his inquiring about her health (“well,” she said, “I’m still alive you know”) goes viral online as a result.

-Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger admits to fathering a child with a maid, causing a breakdown in his marriage to Maria Shriver.

-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces new sanctions against Syria in the wake of the government’s crackdown on opposition activists.
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011:
-Russian President Dimitri Medvedev warns of “a second Cold War” should the Obama administration proceed with their plans to implement a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe.

-The civil war in Libya threatens to spill over the Tunisian and Algerian borders when Qaddafi orders the bombardments of several mountainous border towns held by rebels.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Tuesday, May 17th, 2011: EU agrees to Portugal bailouts.

LISBON, PORTUGAL: The International Monetary Fund and the EU agreed to a joint bailout of Portugal to the tune of $78 billion Euros yesterday. The bailout will bring along multiple restrictions and numerous other qualifications. Among them is a requirement that Portugal launch a number of economic reforms, with Prime Minister Jose Socrates of the Socialist Party promising to engage in “an ambitious program of privatization.”

The bailout comes just forty-eight hours after the Prime Minister categorically denied it would take place, sparking a wave of public anger and protest. The government’s strident agenda of austerity has many fearing rapid rises in unemployment in the coming months. Members of the opposition have also voiced displeasure with the deal, claiming it will only worsen economic condition and reward those whom they claim are at the source of the crisis.

The Portugal bailout comes at a time when Europe’s sovereign crisis threatens to collide with America’s debt-ceiling crisis, sparking concerns about a potentially devastating global depression. Greece has also recently come to a bailout agreement with the EU, receiving €110 billion Euros in exchange to exceeding to the demands of the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission that an austerity budget be implemented, a troubling sign to many economists who fear the sovereign debt crisis could explode into a historic global downturn.

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011: Trump comments draw criticism.

LAS VEGAS, NV: Just days into his campaign for President, Donald Trump’s controversial remarks about illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States has sparked a wave of outrage among Latinos. Macy’s, NASCAR, NBC, and Univision have all broken business ties with Trump in response to the controversy, though Trump is undeterred, taking to Twitter to bash the companies and their CEOs.

The first and largest protests in response to Trump took place outside of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, where over a hundred employees joined in the protest calling for the unionization of the workers employed by the Trump Organization. Other anti-Trump protests took place in cities across the country, with many Hispanic community leaders voicing disgust with Trump’s comments. Among the main headliners at the event were Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), who called on the Republican National Committee to disavow Trump’s candidacy.

Trump’s comments were met with various reactions from fellow Republicans; presidential rival Mitt Romney criticized Trump’s rhetoric as “unnecessarily divisive” and Newt Gingrich echoed fears that Trump’s remarks would “tarnish the Republican brand.” Other Republican candidates were more charitable, with former Senator Rick Santorum defending Trump’s comments as “legitimate expressions of frustration” and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee lambasting the media for “misconstruing Trump’s words.”
Thursday, May 19th, 2011:
-Eight Libyan warships are sunk in the port of Tripoli by NATO jets, crippling Qaddafi’s naval operations. The rebels meanwhile launch their own television channel in order to counter the regime’s propaganda efforts.

-Dominique Stass Kahn resigns as head of the IMF after sexual assault charges are levied against him following an incident in a New York City hotel room involving a maid. Kahn’s resignation, which takes effect in July, means that Christine Lagarde will succeed him as Chair of the International Monetary Fund.

Thursday, May 19th, 2011: Obama: Israel must go back to 1967 borders.

WASHINGTON, DC: President Obama delivered a major foreign policy address at the State Department in which spoke at length about America’s response to the sweeping tide of change rolling across the Middle East. During his speech, President Obama expressed his “unequivocal support” for what the press word-wide has deemed “the Arab Spring”, and stressed the need for greater political reforms in nations like Bahrain while calling for the absolute regime change in Libya and Syria, where the Qadafi and Assad regimes have brutally suppressed attempts to overthrow their governments.

The most notable portions of the President’s speech centered on his announcement that the foreign policy of the United States will recognize the 1967 boundaries as the borders of a Palestinian state, a decision that has left many leading Israeli figures outraged at what they deem to be a “betrayal.” Some of his potential Republican rivals were quick to condemn the President’s policy, with former Governor Huckabee telling a gathering of evangelical voters in Iowa that he believes President Obama “has no sense of loyalty,” while Ambassador Bolton courted controversy when he claimed President Obama’s comments were rooted in “radical third rate, third world ideology.” Donald Trump tweeted his disagreement with the policy, calling Obama “the most anti-Israel President ever,” before sending a second tweet in which he praised Ambassador Bolton as “a smart guy who gets it!”

Secretary of State Clinton backed the President, further expounding that the administration was setting new “parameters for a lasting peace” that she claimed are “devoid of any dogma and free from being bogged down with unreasonable expectations.” Secretary Clinton further echoed the President’s firm opposition to the involvement of Hamas in the peace process in any form, stating that “America’s standing in the Middle East is enhanced” by what she calls “a position of moral clarity.”
Friday, May 20th, 2011:
-Businessman Herman Cain withdraws from the Republican primaries and endorses Donald Trump; Cain’s decision was based around his estimation that Trump would be the more vocal outsider in the race and that his entry would cause his base of support to evaporate.

-A Pakistani newspaper, working in conjunction with Wikileaks, publishes diplomatic cables stolen from the State Department that indicate the Pakistani government requested the US launch more drone strikes within the country against Taliban targets.
Saturday, May 21st, 2011:
-Kim Jong Ill makes a secret trip to China; the eccentric dictator, who is known to fear flying and favors travel by train, is spotted with his massive entourage by foreign press shortly after crossing the border into China. Their discussions in Beijing are  not documented, and Chinese state media releases only a single photo of the meeting in the aftermath.

-Donald Trump hits the ground in Iowa, where he hosts his first rally. To the surprise of his rival candidates and the media (which had been criticizing him non-stop due to the controversial nature of his announcement speech), Trump draws a crowd of nearly ten thousand people. His long rambling speech likewise draws a massive audience on Fox News, which catches the attention of the other networks.

-Yemen’s opposition leaders agree to a deal with mediators from the United Arab Emirates that would allow President Saleh to remain in power for thirty days in exchange for immunity post retirement. Saleh refuses to the sign the deal however, insisting that he will remain in power as “the legitimate” President of Yemen.
Sunday, May 22nd, 2011:
-President Obama makes his first major remarks on the Abottabad incident, appearing in a pre-taped Meet the Press interview in the East Room of the White House to defend his embattled administration. President Obama dodges the questions surrounding the target of the raid, describing the target only as “a high value individual.” President Obama also criticizes Republican candidates for “politicizing a tragedy.” The interview turns testy when interviewer David Gregory attempts to corner the President over his 2008 pledge to “invade” Pakistan to get Bin Laden if necessary.

-In a competing (and considerably less viewed) broadcast on CBS’s Face The Nation, former Ambassador John Bolton announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. The interview is not widely noticed, and Bolton hovers near the bottom of the polls.

-In a separate interview on Fox News Sunday, Donald Trump lashes out against President Obama and Pakistan. “They shot our men out of the skies and protected someone, probably Bin Laden himself” notes Trump, “and President Obama goes to them and apologizes – he should’ve gone to war!”

-Politico reports that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is “eying the exits” in the wake of the Abottabad disaster, even hosting a conclave with her top allies, aides, and political advisers at her Washington DC residence.

-Joplin, Missouri is devastated by tornadoes. 116 people are killed.

T-Paw.

Monday, May 23rd, 2011:

Des Moines, IA.

Thanks, Mary, for your very kind words and for your tremendous love and support. After serving eight years as Minnesota's Governor, I was very much looking forward to life with Mary, and our daughters, in the Midwestern home we love. But with Mary's encouragement and wise counsel, we came to a different conclusion.  And that brings me here today with this announcement.

I'm Tim Pawlenty, and I'm running for President of the United States.

We live in the greatest country the world has ever known. But, as we all know, America is in big trouble, and it won't get fixed if we keep going down the same path. If we want a new and better direction, we need a new and better President. Obama's policies have failed. But more than that, he won't even tell us the truth about what it's really going to take to get out of the mess we're in. I could stand here and tell you that we can solve America's debt crisis and fix our economy without making any tough choices. But we've heard those kinds of empty promises for the last three years, and we know where they've gotten us. Fluffy promises of hope and change don't buy our groceries, make our mortgage payments, put gas in our cars, or pay for our children's clothes.

So, in my campaign, I'm going to take a different approach. I am going to tell you the truth. The truth is, Washington's broken.

Our country is going broke, and the pain of the recent recession will pale in comparison to what's coming, if we don't get spending in Washington D.C. under control. President Obama doesn't have an economic plan. He just has a campaign plan. America deserves much better.

Barack Obama promised that spending eight hundred billion dollars on a pork-filled stimulus bill would keep unemployment under eight percent.  He promised that bailouts for well-connected businesses were a good deal for the country.   He promised that a federal takeover of health care would keep costs under control.  And hard as it is to believe, he even promised the deficit would be cut in half in his first term! But the truth is, since President Obama took office, massive numbers of Americans can't find a job. We're four trillion dollars deeper in debt.  And his health care plan is an unmitigated disaster for our country.

We've tried Barack Obama's way........and his way has failed. Three years into his term, we're no longer just running out of money. We're running out of time.

It's time for new leadership. It's time for a new approach. And, it's time for America's president - and anyone who wants to be president - to look you in the eye and tell you the truth.  So here it is.

Government money isn't "free." You and I either pay for it in taxes, or our children pay for it in debt.  The reforms we need are not in the billions, but in the trillions of dollars. And the cuts we need to make - the cuts we must make - can't just be to somebody else's programs. The changes history is calling on America to make today cannot be shouldered only by people richer than us or poorer than us - but by us, too. Politicians are often afraid that if they're too honest, they might lose an election.  I'm afraid that in 2012, if we're not honest enough, we may lose our country.

If we want to grow our economy, we need to shrink our government. If we want to create jobs, we need to encourage job creators. If we want our children to be free to pursue their dreams, we can't shackle them with our debts. This is a time for truth. That's why later this week, I'm going to New York City, to tell Wall Street that if I'm elected, the era of bailouts, handouts, and carve outs will be over. No more subsidies, no more special treatment. No more Fannie and Freddie, no more TARP, and no more "too big to fail." Success in our economy must once again be determined by the ingenuity of competing businesses and the judgment of the marketplace, period.

There's more.

Tomorrow, I'm going to Florida to tell both young people and seniors the truth that our entitlement programs are on an unsustainable path and that inaction is no longer an option. Our national debt, combined with Obamacare, have placed Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid in real peril. I'll tell young people the truth that over time and for them only, we're going to gradually raise their Social Security retirement age. And, I'll also tell the truth to wealthy seniors that we will means test Social Security's annual cost-of-living adjustment.

Medicare must be also be reformed with "pay for performance" incentives that reward good doctors and wise consumers. And, we need to block grant Medicaid to the states. There, innovative reformers closest to the patients can solve problems and save money. This week, I'll also be in Washington, D.C., to remind the federal bureaucracy that government exists to serve its citizens, not its employees. The truth is, people getting paid by the taxpayers shouldn't get a better deal than the taxpayers themselves.

That means freezing federal salaries, transitioning federal employee benefits, and downsizing the federal workforce as it retires. It means paying public employees for results, not just seniority - from the Capitol to the classroom, and everywhere in between. And in the private sector, it means no card check - not now, not ever.  It means no more taxpayer bailouts just because you gave lots of money to a campaign.  And it especially means the National Labor Relations Board will never again tell an American company where it can and can't do business.

The problems we face as a nation are severe.  But if we could move Minnesota in a common sense, conservative direction, we can do it anywhere -- even in Washington D.C.

It won't be easy, but it's not supposed to be. This is America - we don't do easy. Valley Forge wasn't easy. Normandy wasn't easy. Winning the Cold War wasn't easy. If prosperity were easy, everyone around the world would be prosperous. If security were easy, everyone around the world would be secure. If freedom were easy, everyone would be free. They're not.  But - Americans are - because our Founders and generations before us chose to be, and insisted, sacrificed - and risked everything - so that we could be.

That's their legacy. Now it's our challenge. We are up for it. In 2008, Barack Obama told us he would change America and he has. In 2012, we will change America again....and this time, it will be for the better. Thank you. God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Monday, May 23rd, 2011:
-Vice President Joe Biden tours the damaged community of Joplin, Missouri the day after a deadly tornado outbreak resulted in the deaths of over a hundred people.

-France and the UK deploy attack helicopters to Libya to assist the American led NATO mission.

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011: Trump tweets spark firestorm.

SIOUX CITY, IA: As Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels hits the ground in Iowa for the first time in possible anticipation of entering the race, his remarks have earned him the ire of Donald Trump. The New York billionaire tweeted “some loser Governor has been lying about me” in reference to Daniels on the morning of his first Iowa campaign swing, stating that “loud voices speak for the very many angry people.”  Trump ended his Twitter barrage by tweeting that “if Mitch Daniels couldn’t satisfy his wife, how will he satisfy the country?”

Governor Daniels campaign was quick to respond, with aide and potential campaign manager Eric Holcomb reportedly quipping “running against Trump will be easier than running unopposed.” Former Governor Romney also entered the fray, describing Trump’s behavior as “juvenile” and criticized the media for giving him an unfair amount of coverage.

As the race turns personal, a number of candidates have taken advantage of the chaos to fly under the radar. Despite a lack of coverage, Congressman Ron Paul spoke to over 500 students at the University of Iowa campus while Governor Pawlenty and Speaker Gingrich both held packed town-hall events, where many Republican activists expressed their disappointment at the personal nature of the race. All three candidates quoted Reagan’s so called “eleventh commandment” to great applause from many right-wing commentators, including Rush Limbaugh, who are calling for unity.
Tuesday, May 24th, 2011:
-Canada follows Britain’s lead and implements sanctions on Syria as the crackdown in the country on dissent continues.

-The final episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show is taped, to be broadcast at a soon approaching date.

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011: McCain: Trump is a jackass.

PHOENIX, AZ: Describing Donald Trump as a “jackass” in an interview with Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly, Senator John McCain launched into an angry tirade against the billionaire candidate. McCain mocked Trump’s claims that Barack Obama forged his birth certificate as being based in a “frighteningly superficial knowledge of the real word” and stated that his candidacy “does not help the Republican cause.”

This prompted an angry Twitter tirade from Trump, who described McCain as “a total loser”, “senile”, and “pompous.” McCain’s running-mate, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, was more charitable in her assessment of Trump’s candidacy, appearing on Fox’s late-night “Red Eye” program to voice her concern about party unity. Palin told Fox’s Greg Gutfeld that “the real winner in a Republican “mud-ball” fight are Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.”

Some other Republicans are appearing to back McCain, with Governor Romney joking to an audience of mostly Evangelic Christians at a Methodist Church in Iowa where he told the crowd that “those aren’t the words we’d use” but also that “Senator McCain isn’t a liar.” Governor Daniels also had sharp words for Trump, claiming that the “party would be better off” being “a party of ideas, not idiocy” and called Trump “the media’s headline darling.”
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011:
-President Obama arrives in London for a three day state visit, holding crucial talks with Prime Minister Cameron about the fluid situation in the Middle East and attending a state dinner at Buckingham Palace.

-Jane Corwin defeats Kathy Hochul 45%-44% (with an independent Tea Party candidate garnering the rest) to hold New York’s 26th Congressional District for the Republicans. Hochul’s defeat is widely blamed on the President’s deep unpopularity following the failed Abottabad raid.

-South African President Jacob Zuma announces he will visit Libya on behalf of the African Union in order to attempt to negotiate a ceasefire between Qaddafi and the rebel opposition. His efforts are expected to be fruitless by most figures in the west, who fear that the regime will double down on destroying the opposition now that the ICC has indicted a number of top Libyan officials.

Thursday, May 26th, 2011: Trump claims McCain is no hero, doxes Graham.

MYRTLE BEACH, SC: In a speech to voters in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Donald Trump did not hold back in hurling his latest barrage of barbs towards his most prominent Republican critic John McCain. “I’m sick and tired of this loser!” Trump began. “He chokes everywhere. He runs for President, he loses. He goes to Vietnam, he gets captured! You know what? I like war heroes who don’t get captured!” The line was met with mostly laughter and scattered boos from the otherwise overwhelmingly receptive crowd.

Trump was roundly condemned in response to the comments, with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeting at Trump in response to “get the hell out of South Carolina,” a tweet which Trump mocked by telling South Carolinians “to give their Senator a call and tell him what you think” before including the Senator’s personal cell phone number, which he’d apparently given Trump during a past attempt to fundraise off him.

The other Republican candidates expressed outrage against Trump’s comments and behavior, with all but Congressman Paul affirming their opposition to the statement. Governor Huntsman, who is widely reported to be exploring a run through his PAC, described Mr. Trump as “a buffoon” and urged the Republican Party to “send the Donald’s rating game on the road.” Governors Daniels, Pawlenty, and Romney all encouraged the Republican National Committee to disavow Trump’s candidacy in response to the controversy. Only one fellow candidate, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, backed Trump’s comments, telling reporters following a campaign event in Maine that he finds “no virtue in backing a war and prolonging human suffering for the sake of politics or pride.”    
Thursday, May 26th, 2011:
-Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) begins a filibuster in order to stop the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act. After several hours holding the floor, Paul agrees to relent and the bill is overwhelmingly passed despite the objections of Senator Paul. President Obama, still in London, promises to sign the bill upon his return.

-Governor Mitch Daniels makes a two day visit to New Hampshire, where he addresses a variety of conservative groups. The visit intensifies speculation that the former Governor is being courted by Republican establishment figures who hold doubts about Romney’s viability as the Republican frontrunner.

Friday, May 27th, 2011: Weiner denies obscene tweet.

WASHINGTON, DC: A photo of a man clad in boxer shorts with the bulging outline of a possibly erect penis was sent out over Twitter to a 21 year old college student in Washington by Congressman Anthony Weiner, who denied that he was pictured in the image, claiming that his Twitter account was hacked. The images, which were hastily removed from the Congressman’s Twitter feed, were saved and sent to conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart, who published them on his website.

The tweet has sparked a social media firestorm, with many calling for an investigation in the matter and others claiming that Breitbart had doctored the photos. Some, including presidential contenders Donald Trump and Rick Santorum, have called for Weiner to resign from Congress. In response, Weiner issued a second statement in which he blasted Breitbart “and other Republican partisans” for “exploiting a very serious security breach,” a claim that was widely mocked. Twitter did not respond to inquiries as to if or how Weiner’s account could have been hacked.

Weiner, a rising star in the Democratic Party, has been viewed as a potential candidate for Mayor of New York in 2013. Married to Huma Abedin, a close aide and confidante of Secretary of State Clinton, the lingering questions and the looming cloud of scandal is sure to put a damper on Weiner’s plans in the short run. Breitbart is claiming that “multiple sources” have stepped forward in the wake of the scandal, promising to release what he called “bombshell stuff” in the coming days.
Friday, May 27th, 2011:
-Talks between Vice President Biden and the Republican controlled House of Representatives stall after disagreements over taxation arise. Both the Vice President and Speaker Boehner believe they can reach a deal despite the impasse.

-The 37th G8 Summit occurs in Deauville, France. President Obama joins his counterparts in promising nearly $20 billion to the fledgling democratic governments in Egypt and Tunisia, while also issuing a call for Muammar Qaddafi to step down from power in order to bring the Libyan civil war to a close.

Saturday, May 28th, 2011: Debt ceiling drama.

WASHINGTON, DC: Talks between the administration and House Republicans have reached “a serious impasse” according to Vice President Biden, who was tasked by the President to lead the negotiations. At the heart of the disagreement is the matter of tax increases, which the President is insisting upon in exchange for the House Republican’s desired spending cuts. The drama collimated with the House of Representatives shooting down the President’s desired budget.

With the Republican Party and the President at a standstill, the International Monetary Fund made an urgent plea for the United States’ debt-ceiling to be raised. Claiming that the United States hitting the debt ceiling would create a “severe shock” to the world economy, with many economists concerned that it could result in the national credit rating being downgraded. In response to the growing concerns, the Senate has cancelled it’s post July 4th recess to await further developments as both sides desperately attempt to hammer out a deal. The House is also expected to cancel it’s planned recess as well, though negotiations between Vice President Biden and Congressman Ryan will continue as planned.

The budget crisis has become a prominent issue on the campaign trail, until Donald Trump once again courted controversy when he declared that if elected, “we ‘aint paying!” Trump expounded on his position, declaring China to be “America’s biggest foe” who according to him “have played us for chumps for far too long.” When pressed by reporters, Trump responded by mockingly asking “what’ll they do about it? Think about it?” in regards to a potential Chinese response. Rival candidates disagreed, with Ambassador Bolton calling the proposal “ludicrous” and accused Trump “of basing his foreign policy vision around vintage comic books from the fifties,” which elicited a blistering response from Trump, who accused Bolton of “having a blood fetish” in regards to Bolton’s hawkish foreign policy.
Saturday, May 28th, 2011: A NATO airstrike in Afghanistan kills 15 civilians; the attack “will not be tolerated” according to President Karzai, who warns NATO against inflicting further attacks unless civilians are out of harm’s way.

Sunday, May 29th, 2011: New polling shows Huckabee ahead.

2016 Republican Presidential Nomination (Gallup)
Mike Huckabee: 22%
Mitt Romney: 20%
Donald Trump: 19%
Mitch Daniels: 12%
Newt Gingrich: 7%
Tim Pawlenty: 4%
Ron Paul: 4%
Jon Huntsman: 3%
Rick Perry: 3%
John Bolton: 3%
Chris Christie: 2%
Sarah Palin: 2%
Rudy Giuliani: 2%
Rick Santorum: 1%
Gary Johnson: 1%
Italics indicate undeclared candidate.

Monday, May 30th, 2011: As Romney loses lead, calls for new candidates arise.

NEW YORK, NY: As the Republican Party’s establishment attempts to hold back both a rising outsider in the form of Donald Trump and a more ideological frontrunner in the form of Mike Huckabee, concerns about Mitt Romney’s candidacy has emerged. Among the top complaints is that Romney, who has not yet formally announced his candidacy, has waited on the sidelines for too long and is allowing Trump to dominate the agenda. Others fear Romney is too weak a candidate to tackle the obstacles presented by Huckabee and Trump, and are pushing Mitch Daniel’s freshly minted candidacy as an alternative.

Even still, some are not satisfied by any of the candidates in the field; among them is Fox News’s influential CEO Roger Ailes, who has reportedly lobbied New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Governor Rick Perry, General David Petraeus, and Fed-Ex CEO Fred Smith as potential late-entries into the race. Though Christie has reportedly decided to “keep his options open,” sources close to the Governor say that he’s almost certain to remain out of the race. Governor Perry has reportedly mulled over a bid but is not close to deciding on whether or not to enter, while General Petraeus and Fred Smith both declined Aile’s proposals.  Other candidates who are reportedly mulling over last minute entries to the race include Sarah Palin, who sources indicate is leaning against a run, former Governor George Pataki, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has offered tepid praise for Trump.

Some Republican candidates have signaled that the field is likely not set; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich made waves when he called Mitt Romney “the phoniest front-runner in Republican history” who was “uniquely out of touch with the Republican base.” Governor Mitch Daniels has also cited the recent shifts in polling as a sign that “Republicans are looking for someone to believe in.” Rick Santorum, who has consistently polled near the bottom of the Republican pack, declared “the Romney phase of the personality contest ended before it began” and urged the party to “seek an inspiring and exciting alternative.”

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Update coming shortly. Thoughts so far? I hope this is less confusing than my last (botched) attempt at a timeline?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011:
-The Space Shuttle Endeavor completes its final mission for NASA.

-Former Massachusetts Governor and embattled Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney is set to announce his presidential candidacy in the coming days, per a report from the Washington Post.

-Tens of thousands of protestors flood into Washington to protest the debt-ceiling possibly being raised; President Obama dismisses the protests, noting that the Koch backed Freedom Partners network were instrumental in organizing the rally.

Wednesday, June, 1st, 2011: “Rage against the Raise” rally in DC.

WASHINGTON, DC: Senators Jim DeMint (R-SC), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Representatives Michelle Bachmann (R-MN), Thad McCotter (R-MI), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Allen West (R-FL) along with presidential candidate Donald Trump headlined a massive Tea Party rally in DC opposing any raise in the debt ceiling. Trump, whose speech was broadcast by most news outlets in its entirety, was received with thunderous applause from attendees who warmed to his calls in favor of “telling China to shove it” and “getting tough in international trade.”

The rally, with roughly 50,000 attendees who were mostly bussed in by various sponsor organizations such as Americans for Prosperity and Tea Party Express, was hastily organized to put pressure on House Republicans in regards to the debt-ceiling crisis. The organizations are claiming the higher than expected attendance are a sign that the Tea Party’s anti-Washington message is catching fire, though some critics have attributed to the event’s success to being more related to the spectacle of Donald Trump on the campaign stump.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told reporters that the event “was a great reliever for the GOP caucus” and claimed that the House leadership would remain unyielding in their demands for major spending cuts. The White House also responded to the rally, with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney dismissing the protesters as “astroturf,” a response outspoken Congressman Allen West blistered as “a combination toxic arrogance and unmistakable bullsh**t” during a particularly lively interview on local radio host Joyce Kaufman’s show in his district. “This is only strengthening our resolve” West stated, a sign that many House Republicans are abandoning hope of reaching a deal with the President.

Wednesday, June, 1st, 2011: No-fly zone extended in Libya.

TRIPOLI, LIBYA: NATO announced that the recent implementation of a no-fly zone over Libya will be continued indefinitely as the Qadaffi regime continues to battle an increasingly powerful rebellion against the four decades long rule of one of the Middle East’s most iconic dictators. With the decision to perpetuate military action against the regime, the Libyan air force has been effectively sidelined for the remaining duration of the Libyan civil war, a serious advantage for the rebel forces.

Despite grounding Libya’s air force and steadily bombing military installations around the country, the Qadaffi regime has continued to combat Libyan rebels with brute force. Qadaffi has remained in the capitol of Tripoli, going safe house to safe house each night in fear of being killed in an airstrike, though NATO has denied repeatedly that they’d target Qadaffi. The rebels, meanwhile, have been advancing since NATO intervened in the struggle, recently taking control of the city of Misrata after months of heavy fighting. So far, no American forces have been killed in the Libyan conflict, though casualties among pro-Gaddafi forces have been growing as rebel forces swell in numbers. In rebel occupied territories, a fledgling and weakened democratic government is struggling to maintain both the war effort and the upkeep of the various social services and civic infrastructure.

The no-fly zone’s extension has been protested by the Russian Federation, with President Vladimir Putin reaching out to President Obama over the phone to express his concerns that the NATO campaign could end in the destabilization of the Maghreb. Obama has brushed off the concerns, telling reporters that the NATO mission “will not end until the Libyan people are able to obtain freedom and a future free from fear.”
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011:
-Airstrikes in Tripoli significantly weaken Qaddafi’s remaining air capacity, virtually crippling a quarter of his air force in a stunning bombing raid which also sees Tripoli’s main airport’s runways cratered and made unusable. Rumors abound in the capital of Libya that the dictators wife and daughters have fled into exile in Tunisia, though Qaddafi denies this.

-Syrian forces shoot and kill 40 protestors in Homs in a massacre that is caught on tape; UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon confirms that casualties in Syria are now over a thousand as the Assad regime attempts to stifle the growing revolution.

Mitt.

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011:

Stratham, NH.

“Thank you for coming, and thank you Doug and Stella for hosting us on your lovely farm.

You know, everyone here today can tell a different story. We have different backgrounds and we wake up in the morning to go to different jobs…or, unfortunately have to go look for different jobs. We go to different churches or maybe don't go to church much at all. I bet some of you have families who go back 200 years or more in New Hampshire. And there must be some who just snuck in across the border, from Massachusetts. I hear the taxes are better over here.

But here we are on a beautiful June day coming together to begin a process that we often, quite naturally, take for granted. But it is really one of the great achievements in the history of the world. For all of our country's wealth and influence, those are not the source of our greatness. The true strength of America is self-rule, and a government that answers to a free and independent people.

We live in the most powerful nation that ever existed. And it all goes back to a few men and women who had the courage to stand-and even die-for their belief in liberty and equality. Because of their vision, the United States of America is not ruled by a monarchy or controlled by an aristocracy. Though sometimes folks in Washington might act otherwise, we don't have a House of Lords with inherited power. And as the Red Sox like to remind the New York Yankees, there are no dynasties in America.

Who rules this great nation? You do. Every four years you decide who will give that State of the Union address, who will set the course of the country, who will be Commander in Chief. What's true right here in this New Hampshire farm has always been true in America. Though each of us is different, though each of us will choose to walk a different path in life, we are united by one great, overwhelming passion: We love America. We believe in America.

Today we are united not only by our faith in America. We are united also by our concern for America. This country we love is in peril. And that, my friends, is why we are here today. A few years ago, Americans did something that was, actually, very much the sort of thing Americans like to do: We gave someone new a chance to lead; someone we hadn't known for very long, who didn't have much of a record but promised to lead us to a better place.

At the time, we didn't know what sort of a President he would make. It was a moment of crisis for our economy, and when Barack Obama came to office, we wished him well and hoped for the best. Now, in the third year of his four-year term, we have more than promises and slogans to go by. Barack Obama has failed America!

When he took office, the economy was in recession. He made it worse. And he made it last longer. Three years later, over 16 million Americans are out of work or have just quit looking. Millions more are underemployed. Three years later, unemployment is still above 8%, a figure he said his stimulus would keep from happening. Three years later, foreclosures are still at record levels. Three years later the prices of homes continue to fall. Three years later, our national debt has grown nearly as large as our entire economy. Families are buried under higher prices for food and higher prices for gasoline. It breaks my heart to see what's happening in this country.

These failing hopes make up President Obama's own misery index. It's never been higher. And what's his answer? He says this: "I'm just getting started." No, Mr. President, you've had your chance. We, the people on this farm, and citizens across the country are the ones who are just getting started. Twenty-seven years ago, I left a steady job to join with some friends to start a business. Like many of you, it had been a dream of mine to try and build a business from the ground up. We started in a small office a couple of hours from here and over the years, we were able to grow from ten employees to hundreds.

My work led me to become deeply involved in helping other businesses, from innovative startups to large companies going through tough times. Sometimes I was successful and helped create jobs, other times I was not. I learned how America competes with companies in other countries, what works in the real world and what doesn't. I left my business in 1999 to help put the Salt Lake City Olympics back on track. And when the Games were over, I came home to Massachusetts and served as governor. I'd never held office before but I went at it like I ran businesses and the Olympics: ask tough questions and take on the toughest problems first, because they'll only get worse.

The spirit of enterprise, innovation, pioneering and can-do propelled our standard of living and economy past every other nation on earth. We can longer afford to restrict this powerful spirit; it’s time instead to unleash it. I refuse to believe that America is just another place on the map with a flag. We stand for freedom and opportunity and hope. These last two years have not been the best of times. But while we've lost a couple of years, we have not lost our way. The principles that made us a great nation and leader of the world have not lost their meaning. They never will. We know we can bring this country back.

I'm Mitt Romney. I believe in America. And I'm running for President of the United States.”
Friday, June 3rd, 2011:
-Yemeni President Saleh is killed when a rocket strikes his palace; immediately the capital city of Sana falls into chaos as competing military officers attempt to seize power in the aftermath of the dramatic assassination. Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula claims credit for the rocket attack, which kills a further twenty people alongside the President.

-President Obama announces the federal government will sell their share of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat during a visit to a factory in Toledo, Ohio.

-The House of Representatives passes a nonbinding resolution requesting President Obama seek congressional approval before expanding the NATO mission in Libya any further.

Friday, June 3rd, 2011: John Edwards indicted.

WINSTON-SALEM, NC: Former Senator and Democratic Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards was formally indicted on a myriad of charges relating to campaign finance violations. Pleading not guilty to all counts, Edwards was released after being indicted and was forced to surrender his passport. He did not make any comments to the press upon departing his court appearance.

At the root of the charges are the allegations that Edwards used money donated to the campaign by widow philanthropist Rachel “Bunny” Mellon to pay aide Andrew Young to claim credit for the paternity of Edward’s mistress Rielle Hunter’s daughter. Edwards and Young both admitted to attempting to cover up evidence of the affair, with Edwards admitting paternity last year. Edwards, whose wife Elizabeth died late last year after a lengthy struggle with cancer, is potentially looking at thirty years in prison if convicted.

The indictment of a man who had just seven years before been the Democratic nominee for Vice President brings the final phase of one of the most memorable and tragic American political scandals to a close. Edwards, accompanied in court by his eldest daughter, has yet to make an official statement. Top aides to the embattled former Senator however have privately indicated their confidence that the charges will ultimately be dropped, and Edward’s lawyer maintains his client’s innocence.
Friday, June 4th, 2011:
-Vice President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi manages to seize power in Yemen in the wake of the assassination of Ali Abdullah Saleh; the country has been in chaos for nearly twenty four hours and teeters on civil war as a result of Saleh’s death.

-Former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger dies at the age of 81.

Friday, June 4th, 2011: Top Al-Qaida leader killed in drone strike.

Ilyas Kashmiri,the latest militant to be slain via drone.

SOUTH WAZIRISTAN, PAKISTAN: Ilyas Kashmiri, the leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUDI), an Al Qaida affiliated Islamist group active in Pakistan and Bangladesh, was killed in South Waziristan by a drone strike authorized by President Obama. Kashmiri was reportedly targeted as a retaliatory strike, with many analysts stating that the main catalyst for the strike was a need for the CIA to exert itself in the region following the failure of the Abbottabad raid. Kashmiri’s death is a major blow to the Al Qaida network, in which he was considered one of the core leaders.

Kashmiri was believed by the CIA to be the man responsible for ordering the Camp Chapman bombing, which killed seven CIA officials in December of 2009. Kashmiri has also been sought out for his alleged involvement with attacks in India and may have been tasked by Bin Laden with devising potential attacks in the west as well. The fatal drone strike was not Kashmiri’s first brush with an American drone; a strike targeting Kashmiri injured him when the house he was staying it was hit with a drone fired missile. One source claims that his survival could only be attributed to change-Kashmiri was outdoors urinating behind a nearby building when the house he had been hiding out in was hit.

With Kashmiri being slain, the Obama administration is hoping to retake the momentum in the fight against the shadowy terror network. Kashmiri, widely considered a strong contender to take the reins of leader of Al Qaida in the post Bin Laden/al-Zawahiri era, has been one of the most prominent and high ranking figures in the organization’s hierarchy killed under the Obama administration. CIA Director Leon Panetta hailed the strike, and sent a harsh and strong message to Bin Laden and other Islamist leaders during a press conference: “we will find you. We will kill you.”
Sunday, June 5th, 2011:
-Israeli troops open fire on pro-Palestinian demonstrators trying to cross a border checkpoint near the Golan Heights; 20 people are killed and a further 200 are injured. President Assad of Syria describes the incident as “an unprecedented act of barbarous savagery” in an interview with Russia Today (RT) in the wake of the massacre. Israel faces condemnation worldwide for the incident, though Israel contests the casualty statistic.

-In spite of Greece’s mounting debt and the possibility of a bailout, tens of thousands of protestors take to the streets to demonstrate against the government’s austerity budget.

-Libyan rebels recapture the western mountain town of Yafran from Qaddafi forces after a lengthy siege that has left much of the city in ruins.

Sunday, June 5th, 2011: New Bin Laden tape surfaces.

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN: The Pakistani ISI have released to the media a video tape purportedly of Osama Bin Laden that has apparently been made in the aftermath of an alleged failed raid targeting him. In the video, Bin Laden is shown telling followers to continue carrying out attacks against western targets, and repeatedly mocked the CIA and the Obama administration, taunting them and “their barbarian sky hordes” (a reference to Seal Team Six) to “come fight on the ground like men.”

The CIA has verified the video, which Bin Laden himself dated by holding a copy of a newspaper reportedly from Afghanistan. This, along with a noticeable background change, have many analysts believing that Bin Laden has left his rumored longtime hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan to take refuge in the lawless tribal frontier in Waziristan. “If it is proven true that Bin Laden was indeed in Abbottabad”, warned former Ambassador Bolton, “then we’ve probably been set back ten years in our hunt” during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. Bolton was followed on the same broadcast by House Speaker John Boehner, who confirmed public hearings would begin on Monday. The video surfaced only hours after the CIA confirmed the death of Al Qaida leader Ilyas Kashmiri.

Bin Laden’s latest video message has been the top subject among the other Sunday broadcasts, where Secretary of State Clinton headlined NBC’s “Meet the Press.” During her appearance, Clinton roundly criticized Pakistan for not sharing the video with American intelligence, and blasted House Republicans for “not rallying behind the President in a time of crisis.” The use of the phrase crisis took an awkward turn for Secretary Clinton when Donald Trump tweeted a message mocking President Obama: “his own Sec. of State thinks he is a failure!” followed by one which said “Secretary Clinton says there is a crisis! Duh! New leadership needed NOW!” Trump’s final message was a brief video taken at Trump Tower, in which Trump, appearing to be sitting lazily behind a desk, warns Bin Laden simply “we’re coming for you” in which he then uses his fingers to mockingly pull a trigger and alongside a sarcastic blink shouts aloud “bang!”
Monday, June 6th, 2011:
-Embattled Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) admits to sending a lewd photo on Twitter, claiming to be suffering from sex addiction. The Congressman insists that he will serve out his term and seek reelection despite Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) calling on him to resign from the House of Representatives.

-Austan Goolsbee announces his intention to resign as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers in September.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Thoughts so far?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Terrific. I think you capture Trump's voice better than any TL I've seen on this site.

That’s because I use otl quotations with only minimal contextual changes to be fair, though most of the alternate tweets are original.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Monday, June 6th, 2011: Santorum announces campaign.

“I want to thank all of you for coming out of here today. It is a beautiful day in Somerset-it's always beautiful in Somerset County. You must think I'm not from Somerset County if I said that, right? But it is a beautiful day here; it's a Chamber of Commerce day here in Somerset County. And let me just thank everybody here in the local community for the great cooperation and support and being here and showing up and for, well, for being where it all started for the Santorum family. And that's why we're here, because our journey, our American journey started here in Somerset County. And so it is great to be here; thank you Somerset County for coming out for us.

You know the most common question I've had over the past 20 months was "are you running?" And the answer I always gave…and it took me a while…but, uh, I came up with this: "No I'm not running, I'm walking!" And the reason I was as walking was because I wanted to get out and talk to Americans, all across America. Dozens and dozens of states over the past couple of years, which naturally lead to a heavier sampling of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.

But I was out talking to people, listening to people, trying to get a sense as to whether what I was feeling inside, the anxiety and the concern I had for the future of our country, was something that was also real and shared. Well an answer to that was what happened a little over, well almost two years ago now with the birth of the Tea Party and people standing up in meeting after meeting and holding up their Constitution and talking about……[pop sound] those are balloons…..not shots. It's not that I haven't had my shots shot at me at times.

In 2008 a wearied public, one rightfully troubled public recovering from the shock of the financial crisis, looked to a President who they could believe in. And that man, President Obama took that leap, took that faith that the America public gave him and wrecked our economy and centralized power in Washington, DC and robbed people of their freedom. I believe now that Americans are not looking for someone that they can believe in; they're looking for a President who believes in them!

Now if you look at the record of spending since this President came in, and sure he came in with a problem, but look now at where we sit now! He came in and with us in that hole already, he just kept digging and digging and digging. Now for every dollar we spend thanks to this President, forty cents is borrowed. Forty cents is going to be put on every man, woman, and child to pay the interest on for the rest of their lives. Who are we? Who are you, Mr. President? Who are you, Mr. President to say that you and your Administration should take forty cents out of every dollar and borrow it from future generations to prop you up?!

He's done worse than that. He's devalued our currency by pumping Fed Reserve currency, pumping money, inflating our commodities, our food prices, our oil prices. Which is a horrible penalty on working Americans, on saving Americans.

He's devalued our currency and he's not just devalued our currency, he's devalued our culture. Through marriage, and through not standing up to the Defense of Marriage Act! Through federal funding of abortions! Through his public displays of his own contempt for our brave law enforcement personnel! He's devaluing our dollars, and he devalues our other currency, our moral currency on which America can never surrender it’s monopoly!

Fellow Americans, it is our watch, and this time now is our time! It is the time for all of us to step up and do what America requires us to do. I'm ready to lead. I'm ready to do what has to be done for the next generation, with the courage to fight for freedom, with the courage to fight for America.

That's why I'm announcing today that I'm running for President of the United States. Join the fight for freedom, join the fight for family values!

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011: New polling shows shifting race.

2016 Republican Presidential Nomination (Suffolk University)
Mike Huckabee: 15%
Donald Trump: 15%
Mitt Romney:  15%
Mitch Daniels: 13%
Newt Gingrich: 7%
Tim Pawlenty: 6%
Ron Paul: 5%
Rick Perry: 4%
Jon Huntsman: 4%
Chris Christie: 4%
Sarah Palin: 3%
John Bolton: 3%
Rick Santorum: 3%
Rudy Giuliani: 2%
Gary Johnson: 1%

Italics indicate undeclared candidate.
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011:
-Despite denying that Colonel Qaddafi was targeted personally, NATO conducts a strike on Muammar Qaddafi’s compound in Tripoli. The attack comes after the ICC reports that regime forces are distributing Viagra to mercenaries in order to use rape as a weapon of war.

-Retiring Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) lashes out against the Obama administration, claiming that the President’s policies are leaving behind working class Americans. Webb also criticizes the President for the failed Abottabad raid, sparking speculation in the press that the Senator may be weighing a primary challenge against President Obama.

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011: Pataki mulling 2012 bid.

SYRACUSE, NY: Former Governor George Pataki, the state’s popular Republican Governor from 1994 until 2006, made waves when he told two journalists affiliated with the Washington Post at a Republican Women’s Brunch in New Hampshire that he thinks the race “needs someone with an Empire State of mind.” A spokesperson for Governor Pataki later confirmed reports that the former New York Governor is considering making a bid for the Republican nomination.

Pataki, along with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Texan Governor Rick Perry, are among prospective candidates who could make a late entry into the race. While Giuliani has relatively quiet and has sent mixed signals on a bid, Governor Perry has reportedly lined up strategists and will be building his campaign apparatus over the summer as he considers plunging into the race. Pataki, who has made clear that he is considering a bid, would enter the race with serious disadvantages such as low national name recognition and moderate positions that would put him at odds with the increasingly conservative base.

The Governor’s events failed to draw any sizable crowds, and Pataki’s “shadow” campaign shows the signs of buckling under the weight of top candidates. Pataki, should he ultimately decide to run, would be in the same position of lesser known candidates like Ambassador Bolton, Governor Johnson, and Senator Santorum. Governor Johnson has reportedly traveled with one aide in the state and has been forced to cover travel expenses from his personal account, while Ambassador Bolton has seen sparse crowds at his initial events.
Thursday, June 9th, 2011:
-Politico reports that Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) has accepted an invitation to participate in an upcoming Republican primary debate, a sign that a campaign announcement is imminent from the Tea Party firebrand.

-With the assistance of NATO in the form of airstrikes, rebels in Libya make significant gains. They occupy the town of Zawiya, just thirty miles from Tripoli. Qadaffi orders rocket attacks on the city in response to the rebel advance.

Friday, June 10th, 2011: Bachmann files with FEC to pursue Presidency.

SAINT CLOUD, MN: Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann (R-MN), a Tea Party stalwart and strong ally political ally of Sarah Palin, quietly filed this morning with the FEC to seek the Republican nomination. Bachmann confirmed her entry to the race during an appearance on NBC’s “The Today Show,” and stated that she intends to participate in an upcoming debate sponsored by CNN. Though she floated a bid earlier this year, Bachmann’s sudden announcement took the media by surprise as there had been little activity by the typically outspoken Congresswoman for some time.

Bachmann’s entrance to the race makes her the other major sitting congressional figure aside from Congressman Paul to be in the Republican field; Bachmann will have to compete with candidates like Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum in the Iowa causes for a share of Iowa’s sizable evangelical bloc and fend of Donald Trump and Ron Paul for support from Tea Party voters. Despite long odds, Bachmann’s candidacy is the first serious presidential bid by a Republican woman since Elizabeth Dole in 2000, and she is expected to receive the support of Sarah Palin should she choose not to run herself.

With a slate of events scheduled in Iowa, Bachmann is banking on a wave of excitement and enthusiasm to carry her to the top of the polls, which was the case with previous candidates (most recently Trump). With a debate scheduled in days, several of her hastily team of campaign staffers are betting their hopes on a strong debate performance. Bachmann will be forced to compete for attention from the surging candidacies of Mitch Daniels (potentially) and Donald Trump, along with other more established, better known figures such as Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.
Saturday, June 11th, 2011:
-Protests break out in Iran on the second anniversary of Ahmadinejad’s reelection; security forces, weary of the situation in Syria and Libya, proactively move to quell the demonstrations and shut down social media before the protests grow in size.

-Donald Trump hosts a rally in Jacksonville, Florida along the city’s waterfront. Making a dramatic arrival by helicopter, Trump draws 10,000 attendees to the rally in the latest sign that his candidacy is catching fire among Republicans. In comparison, Governor Romney sees an attendance of just over a thousand at his own competing rally in Nashua, New Hampshire.

-Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who has been gerrymandered into Marcy Kaptur’s district, abandons his reelection efforts and instead announces he’s considering an invitation from progressive activists in Washington State to run for Congressman Jay Inslee’s seat (Inslee has declared his intention to run for Governor) instead.

Newt.

Saturday, June 11th, 2011:

Waterloo, IA.

Things were not going the Speaker’s way. The candidate once touted as the Republican’s chief “ideas man” in the race had faced a rocky campaign since the beginning. It began with his “social engineering” gaffe in regards to the Ryan budget, and continued with a series of further missteps such as a cruise through the Aegean Sea shortly after his botched campaign rollout to stories about his wife’s spending habits. His funds were drying up, his staff was overworked and underpaid, and his polling remained stagnant. In New Hampshire, he repeatedly was told by voter after voter as he made the rounds through a Nashua coffee shop that it simply wasn’t his time. “Get out of the way” an elderly woman warned, “this is Trump’s race, not yours.”

To many Republican voters, Newt – a tireless crusader against the perceived corruption of the Clintons – was a great candidate against Hillary. The problem was, the Secretary of State wasn’t running. A more charismatic, versatile, and fresher President instead led the Democratic Party, and Newt simply did not make the cut against him. Obama was young (ish), a dramatic orator, and an intellectual who could match Newt’s academic background. Indeed, Obama intellectually outpaced Gingrich in the eyes of most voters. The term “old news” haunted the former Speaker’s candidacy like a phantom.

“We’re going to invest in ethanol” promised Gingrich in Iowa, a week after he promised a VA hospital for New Hampshire and two weeks after he vowed to expand the port of Charleston, South Caroline. “We really need to aspire to complete and total energy independence” Gingrich declared in a desperate attempt to summon the spirit of Ronald Reagan to little applause. Continuing his speech, Newt looked out among the crowd that had gathered at Waterloo West High School’s gym to listen to the floundering candidate. Callista nervously watched from the corner near the doors, flanked by aides and staffers. She nervously tugged on her pearls as she realized just how palpable the tension was. The audience sat still, with a collective flat affect that bore virtually no enthusiasm.

Continuing on, Gingrich drew inspiration from his bag of boogeymen. The Iranians were perilously close to testing a nuclear bomb. Al Qaida would soon conquer Libya because of the Obama administration’s feckless foreign policy. The entire electrical grid was at risk due to a solar flare. Bin Laden – probably Bin Laden – had escaped capture once again. Probably for good, noted Newt. These lines generated little reaction, once again. “What do I have to do to get these people excited?” thought Newt to himself, “call Obama a Kenyan?”

The Speaker continued with his address. He focused on the other candidates. Donald Trump was unelectable, he warned. Mitt Romney was not a true conservative. Mike Huckabee lacked appeal outside the south. Mitch Daniels was too moderate. Ron Paul was a dangerous radical. He went through the standard stump speech litany, becoming increasingly aware of just how stale his message was. He stopped to ponder this for a moment, a pause of only a few seconds. “When are you going to drop out and endorse Trump already!” boomed a woman from the back; the room finally burst into applause.
Sunday, June 12th, 2011: Libyan rebels secure most of the country’s western border, establishing a steady supply line from Algeria. This largely shores up their position and makes them a now ever-present threat to the capital of Tripoli.
Monday, June 13th, 2011: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warns NATO and EU partners that Iran is trying to work their way around economic sanctions by buying up foreign banks and money exchanges.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I really like your style of writing and narration. Great TL, and great picture of Bachmann, too.

Thanks! This is fifty percent timeline and fifty percent throwback to 2011 era Atlas

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Monday, June 13th, 2011: GOP NH debate hosted by CNN.

JOHN KING: Welcome to Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, and welcome to the first Republican presidential debate in the first-in-the-nation primary state. Behind me on this stage are the Republican candidates for president; this is the first time that they are appearing together on the same stage for the first time tonight.

And tonight's debate will be different than any presidential debate you've ever seen. Over the course of the next two hours, in addition to questions from myself and journalists from our partners, WMUR and the New Hampshire Union Leader, the candidates will take questions directly from voters right here in Manchester, as well as from voters at town meetings taking place tonight all across New Hampshire.

So let's get right to it and meet the candidates. Now, we've asked for no opening statements. However, we will continue a tradition from our past New Hampshire debates, to ask each candidate in one short sentence-hopefully, five, maybe six or seven seconds-to introduce themselves to the voters of New Hampshire and the United States of America.

Let me begin with an example. I'm John King with CNN. I am honored to be your moderator tonight, and I am thrilled to be back in Red Sox nation! Starting from the end with Senator Santorum, we’ll go all the way across.

RICK SANTORUM: Good evening, I’m Senator Rick Santorum, and I’m fighting for the values of freedom and family, and I hope that the good people of the Granite state will find themselves agreeing with me tonight.

JOHN KING: Thank you, Senator Santorum. Congresswoman Bachmann?

MICHELLE BACHMANN: Good evening; my name is Michelle Bachmann. I'm a former federal tax litigation attorney. I'm a businesswoman. We started our own successful company. I'm also a member of the United States Congress. I'm a wife of 33 years. I've had five children, and we are the proud foster parents of 23 great children. And it's a thrill to be here tonight in the "Live Free or Die" state. Thank you.

JOHN KING: Ambassador Bolton?

JOHN BOLTON: Thank you, John, and thank you CNN, I’m John Bolton, I believe a strong America is a peaceful America. I was Ambassador to the UN, where I stood for the values of liberty, equality, and justice for all in the face of a dangerous, unstable, and undemocratic world that opposes us.

JOHN KING: Thank you sir. Governor Huckabee?

MIKE HUCKABEE: Good evening, it’s great to be back in New Hampshire again. The American people are hurting, and they need more than hope: they need faith. America works when America believes; I think I can inspire that great American spirit and I’d love to have you join with me.

JOHN KING: Governor Romney?

MITT ROMNEY: I'm Mitt Romney, and it's an honor to be back at Saint Anselm. Hopefully I'll get it right this year. I appreciate the chance to be with you and to welcome my wife. I have five sons, as you know, five daughters-in law, 16 grandkids. The most important thing in my life is to make sure their future is bright and that America is always known as the hope of the Earth. Thank you.

JOHN KING: Thank you Governor; Mr. Trump!

DONALD TRUMP: I don’t need to introduce myself to you; all of you know me. I’m a successful entertainer and producer. I build big, beautiful hotels, casinos, resorts, and golf courses that are the envy of the world. All these guys come up here, they come and stay in them…and believe me, they spend quite a lot of money too! I don’t mind making money, I like making money. I make money. What I don’t make is the problems, though. That’s what they do. And now I’m stepping up with the American people to say enough, we’ve had it, we’re fixing it. We’re going to make America bigger, better, stronger, and greater again than ever before.

JOHN KING: Speaker Gingrich?

NEWT GINGRICH: I'm Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House. And when 14 million Americans are out of work, we need a new president to end the Obama depression. I think I have the most relevant experience required to be that new President.

JOHN KING: Congressman Paul?

RON PAUL: I am Congressman Ron Paul. I've been elected to the Congress twelve times from Texas. Before I went into the Congress, I delivered babies for a living and I’ve delivered over 4,000 babies. Now I would like to be known for and to continue to defend the title of “champion of liberty” in the Congress. I will always faithfully abide by and consistently defend the Constitution. Thank you.

JOHN KING: And finally, Governor Pawlenty.

TIM PAWLENTY: Good evening, I'm Tim Pawlenty. I'm a husband. My wife, Mary and I have been married for over twenty years. I'm the father of two beautiful daughters, Anna and Mara. I'm a brother, friend, and a neighbor. And I'm running for president of the United States because I love America, but like you, I'm concerned about its future. I've got the experience and the leadership and the results to lead it to a better place.

JOHN KING: Thank you, candidates….
JOHN KING: Governor Pawlenty, answer the critics….uh, answer the people who say five percent every year is just outright unrealistic. And as you do so, where's the proof? Where's the proof that just cutting taxes will create jobs? If that were true, why during the Bush years, after the big tax cut, where were the jobs?

TIM PAWLENTY: Well, John, my plan involves….well I have a whole plan, that isn’t just about cutting taxes. We're proposing to cut taxes, reduce regulation, speed up this pace of government, and to make sure that we have a pro-growth agenda.

This president is a declinist. He views America as one of equals around the world. We're not the same as Portugal; we're not the same as Argentina. And this idea that we can't have five percent growth in America is hogwash. It's a defeatist attitude. If China can have five percent growth and Brazil can have five percent growth, then the United States of America can have five percent growth.

And I don't accept this notion that we're going to be average or anemic. So my proposal has a five percent growth target. It cuts taxes, but it also dramatically cuts spending. We need to fix regulation. We need to have a pro-American energy policy. We need to fix health care policy. And if you do those things, as I've proposed, including cut spending, you'll get this economy moving and growing the private economy by shrinking government.

DONALD TRUMP: Hooey! Baloney! Getta a look at this guy, pretending he knows what to do. Governor Pawlenty-

JOHN KING: -Mr. Trump, we’re on a tight sched-

DONALD TRUMP: -hold on John, this-

JOHN KING: Mr. Trump

DONALD TRUMP: -no, hold on, wait, this is important. This is why I’m now tied in all of the good polls. I don’t believe in central planning-

TIM PAWLENTY: Neither do I! Where could you possibly get that impression? I’ve been-

DONALD TRUMP: You said planning! You said it yourself, you have yourself a whole plan. I’ve seen your plan, Tim, you tried in Minnesota and all that happened was a bridge came crumbling down. China and Mexico and all of these other countries are taking us out to lunch and are spitting us back out. And what Tim is telling you, under his plan, and I believe in free markets and free trade and all of that, is that he’ll ship the jobs overseas to China, where they’ll decrease their unemployment numbers and a few lucky companies here will increase their profits. It isn’t right, it ‘aint American, and most importantly, it’s no longer working!

JOHN KING: So, Mr. Trump, you’re making it clear that you’re absolutely opposed to free trade under most circumstances? What are you exactly-

DONALD TRUMP: I’ll tell you all about it, John. I believe in free trade. Free trade works when the trade is fair, though. And right now, it isn’t fair. We’ve had this dog and pony show before, folks. We got it under Bush. All that has really happened is that the jobs went out, and the illegals they flooded in. We need a new course.

JOHN KING: Governor Romney, do you agree with Mr. Trump on trade and do you think five percent growth is a promise too big to be kept. And is it fair to compare the United States' economy, a fully developed economy, to the Chinese economy, which is still in many ways developing?

MITT ROMNEY: Well, first of all I’d remind Mr. Trump that President Reagan was a firm believer in free trade. And I don’t think any true conservative would go against the face of conservatism on an issue so central to our approach to economics.

So look, Tim has the right instincts, which is that he recognizes that what this president has done has slowed down our economy. He didn't create the recession, but he made it worse and he made it longer. And now we have more chronic long-term employment than this country has ever seen before, twenty million people out of work or having stopped looking for work, or just in part-time jobs that need full-time jobs. We've got housing prices continuing to decline, and we have foreclosures at record levels.

This president has failed. And he's failed at a time when the American people counted on him to create jobs and get the economy growing. And instead of doing that, he delegated the stimulus to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and then he did what he wanted to do: card-check, cap-and-trade, Obamacare, the rapid reregulation of the economy. I spent my life in the private sector for twenty five years. I know-

DONALD TRUMP: See, this is the problem. Did you see that? Did you see what he just did? He danced right around the trade stuff, because we all know that he can’t defend it. And then he just kept on saying that he can fix it, that he can create jobs, that he has a long history. His history, his whole career, it’s based on nothing-

(Scattered boos from audience)

MITT ROMNEY: -I resent that Donald!

DONALD TRUMP: -I resent that while I strived hard and struggled to make it big in Manhattan, I resent that people like you made far less money while leaving in your wake far bigger consequences. I’m telling you folks, the people out there, they don’t trust you guys with this stuff anymore. They don’t! They want somehow who has created jobs in the past to create the jobs now. They want someone with a spine and with energy and with a passion for getting results. They want a winner. They want a champion. They want greatness!

(Thunderous applause from audience)
JOHN KING: We have a question from the audience, from Mrs. Sylvia Smith.

SYLVIA SMITH: As a journalist who's written frequently about health care and medicine for both newspapers and for corporate publications, I'm very concerned about the overreach of the massive health care legislation that was passed last year. My question is, what would each candidate do? What three steps would they take to de- fund Obamacare and repeal it as soon as possible? Thank you.

JOHN KING: Governor Huckabee, we’ll start with you?

MIKE HUCKABEE: Well, I think the clear solution is putting control in patient’s hands; that means no new taxes, no fees, no Massachusetts style mandates. Repealing Obamacare is going to be our first major priority in order to restore America to the path of prosperity. But we can’t end there, and we need to be a party of ideas, not just opposition. There is an abundance of smart, market minded reformers across the country in some of our Governor’s mansions. Folks like Governor Jindal in Louisiana, Governor Perry in Texas, Governor Scott in Florida, Governor Snyder of Michigan or Governor Haley in South Carolina are on the front-lines in the fight against Washington control of their healthcare; they know that each state has unique and individual needs, and a decentralized approach will be the most efficient way to ensure all Americans can receive affordable, quality care.

JOHN KING: Governor Romney, Governors Huckabee and Pawlenty have both been critical of the healthcare reforms you implemented in Massachusetts. Governor Pawlenty, who is just a few podiums over to your right on the stage tonight, called your Massachusetts plan, which you know has become a focal point of the criticism in this campaign from your friends here, “Obamneycare.” Governor Pawlenty is calling it Obamneycare. Is that a fair comparison?

MITT ROMNEY: You know, let me say a couple things. First, if I'm elected president, I will repeal Obamacare. On my first day in office, if I'm lucky enough to have that office, I will grant a waiver to all fifty states offering them the chance to exempt themselves from Obamacare.

Now, there's some similarities and there are some big differences. Obamacare spends a trillion dollars. If it were perfect-and it's not perfect, it's terrible-we uh….we just can't afford more federal spending. Also, it raises $500 billion in taxes. We didn't raise taxes in Massachusetts. That wasn’t part of our program. Third, Obamacare takes $500 billion out of Medicare to fund Obamacare. We, of course, didn't do that. And, finally, ours was a state level plan, a statewide solution, and if people don't like it in our state, they can change it. That's the nature of why states are the right place for this type of responsibility. And that's why I introduced a plan to repeal Obamacare and replace it with a state-centric program just like the one Governor Huckabee probably desires.

JOHN KING: Governor Pawlenty, the Governor just contrasted his program with Obamacare. Does his explanation satisfy you?

TIM PAWLENTY: No, John, to be frank, and I think a lot of Republicans watching tonight would agree, that the answer Governor Romney just provided doesn’t satisfy anyone. It doesn’t answer any questions at all. This is another example of him breaking his promise, and he has to be held accountable. And in order to prosecute the case against President Obama, you have to be able to show that you've got a better plan and a different plan. We took a different approach in Minnesota. We didn't use top-down government mandates and individual requirements from government. We don’t need them from the federal level and we don’t even need them at a state level. We created successful market alternatives and empowered consumers. I think that's the way to fix health care in the United States of America.

JOHN KING: You didn’t reference Obamaneycare, Governor?

TIM PAWLENTY: Well, the issue that was raised in a question from a reporter was, what are the similarities between the two? And I just cited President Obama's own words that he looked to Massachusetts as a blueprint or a guide when he designed Obamacare.

JOHN KING: You will not name Governor Romney’s healthcare program in Massachusetts despairingly here on the stage tonight, but you would from the shelter of a Sunday show studio?

(Scattered boos from the audience)

TIM PAWLENTY: Well, uh, I……this is just-

MICHELLE BACHMANN: This is just another example of the media-

JOHN KING: Congresswoman, please…please just-

MICHELLE BACHMANN: -no, I will not hold this thought, because this is shameful. We got all these smart guys and this smart gal on the stage, and all you want us to do is fight each other. Who cares if Governor Pawlenty calls it that? The American people are concerned about the increasing costs of healthcare, not a campaign quip by Governor Pawlenty.

(Loud applause from the audience)

TIM PAWLENTY: Well, look, President Obama is….uh, Obama is the person who I quoted in saying he looked to uh, Massachusetts for designing his program. He's the one who said it's a blueprint and that he merged the two programs. And so using the term "Obamneycare" was a reflection of the president's comments that he designed Obamacare on the Massachusetts health care plan. That’s all I was trying to say.

MIKE HUCKABEE: I have to register my agreement with Michelle; in fact, I agree 100% with Michelle! I signed up for a contest of ideas, and we’ve all been trying to have one, but it seems that the media is trying to stir the pot and create chaos. This isn’t a ratings game, this is the real world and there are real consequences to this election. The American people are tired of the smoke and mirrors and the doublespeak. They don’t want to play parlor games with politics.

JOHN KING: To be clear, neither I nor CNN have any agenda, we want only an open and fair forum for the discussion of policy and substantive disagreements-we’re on a tight schedule, so we’ll move on, though questions like the one I just asked are fair game and we will not renege on our journalistic responsibilities. 

DONALD TRUMP: Why are we booing John? I know the media isn’t on our side-they have been lined up against me from the day I announced, but why boo the media for doing their job for once? They just asked Governor Pawlenty a question. He backed down. He called in Obamneycare. Now it doesn’t matter. This is not the leadership we need folks!

TIM PAWLENTY: Mr. Trump, civility always should prevail over politics-

DONALD TRUMP: But not over winning, Tim. That’s why the few people who do know who you are, you know, those super-fans of politics, they all think you’re too weak and that is why you’re polling at the bottom and I’m rising every single day. I fight, and I win. You cower and compromise.

(Applause from the audience)

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

JOHN KING: We now go to Jennifer Vaughn on the floor here, she has a question on the debt-ceiling crisis.

JENNIFER VAUGHN: Governor Romney, I’ll start with you: the Treasury Department says the United States will hit its credit limit on August the 2nd. Do you believe we will ultimately have to raise the debt ceiling?

MITT ROMNEY: I believe we will not raise the debt ceiling unless the President finally, finally is willing to be a leader on issues that the American people care about. And the number one issue that relates to that debt ceiling is whether the government is going to keep on spending money they don't have.

The American people and Congress and every person elected in Washington has to understand we want to see a President finally lay out plans for reining in the excesses of government. You've heard up here a whole series of ideas about entitlements. And that's about sixty percent of federal spends. That's a big piece. That's a big chunk. These people have a lot of ideas. Congressman Paul and Mr. Trump in particular have a lot of big ideas!

(Some laughter from the audience)

Where are the president's ideas? Each person has different ideas here. We can try them and try different ideas in different states and different programs at the federal level. But why isn't the president leading? He isn't leading on balancing our budget and he's not leading on jobs. He's failed the American people both in job creation and in increasing the size and the scale of the government.

JOHN KING: So, Governor Romney, are you saying that you’re willing to raise the debt-ceiling? Are you refusing to consider a raise? You didn’t quite answer the question as to what you would do.

MITT ROMNEY: Well, what happens if we continue to spend time and time again, year and year again more money than we take in? What I’ll say to America is this: at some point, we’re going to hit a wall. At some point, people around the world will say, "I'm not going to keep loaning money to America to pay these massive deficits. We’re not going to pay for them because America can't pay us back and the dollar is not worth anything anymore." In that circumstance, we saddled our future-bear in mind, this is the future that belongs to our kids-we’ll leave them a country in such a way that is just unacceptable.

And so, you're going to see Republicans stand up and say, "Mr. President, lay down plans to balance this budget." If he does so, if we gets Democrats to come at that time table and honestly deal with the challenges we have, with the entitlement challenges, with the spending and discretionary accounts, with our jobs issues, and finally say you know what? We really can't at this time afford another trillion dollars of Obamacare.

JOHN KING: So you won’t raise the debt ceiling?

MITT ROMNEY: We won’t need to-

DONALD TRUMP: You're having a rough time tonight Mtt.

(Wild applause and heavy boos from audience)

JOHN KING: Congresswoman Bachmann, you'll get a vote on this issue. What Governor Romney outlined is the goal of Republicans, who seek a big deal to balance the budget. If you can't get that on the short term and this date approaches, those negotiations are continuing, what is your price tag-what is your price tag in at least a first wave of cuts? And if you don't get it, would you say to the House Republicans, "No, let the government go into default, that's where we need to stand"?

MICHELLE BACHMANN: I’ve voted against raising the debt ceiling in the past, and unless we get some substantial cuts to keep our government sustainable, than I won’t vote to raise it this time.

But I want to…uh, I want to….I uh want to speak to someone that's far more eloquent than I. Someone who said just dealing with the issue of raising the debt ceiling is a failure of leadership. That person was then Senator Barack Obama. He refused to raise the debt ceiling because he said President Bush had failed in leadership.

Clearly, President Obama has failed in leadership. Under his watch, in two and a half years, we've increased the federal debt thirty five percent just in that amount of time. So, what we need to do both, from the Congress and President…who, uh…he needs to direct his Treasury Secretary to do the next key steps: pay the interest on the debt first, then we won't have a failure of our full faith and credit from their prioritized spending. And once we have these necessary and very serious spending cuts, we’ll more or less get in a position of strength from which we might look at increasing funding. But not without a surplus.
JOHN KING: We’re going to Mr. Jerry Kitty now on the floor, who apparently runs a juvenile institution in neighboring Massachusetts. Mr. Kitty?

JERRY KITTY: Uh, yes, thank you John, and my question to the candidates is a relatively simple one: what role does your faith play in your political careers? I'm also just wondering what your definition of the separation of church and state is and how it will affect your decision-making in relation to your faith?

JOHN KING: Mr. Trump?

DONALD TRUMP: Well, Jerry, I’m very big on God. I think God’s terrific, he’s been a great part of my life for many years now. But I believe in separation of Church and State. I love God and I love that he’s been so good to me, but I don’t think in a free country that my God is necessarily more important than say, a Jewish guys God or a Muslim's God. I don’t think we should waste time legislating morality. Our main goal should be making America work again, because a working America is a great America!

JOHN KING: So, are you not conservative on social issues Mr. Trump?

DONALD TRUMP: Oh yes, tremendously conservative. I believe in traditional marriage and I’ll fight to preserve it to a degree, but come on, look at the debt, you can’t expect me to focus my energy on issues like that. I’ll tell you one social issue that is important though, and it may be the most important issue to many of you and it’s certainly important to me. I don’t get effected by whether we call it a civil union or a marriage or if two gay Americans fall in love with one another. I do get effected when I see these poor babies in our inner-cities just being slaughtered, because their mothers have no help and have no hope. That is what is important. That needs to be stopped, and it’s a blight on our country.

MIKE HUCKABEE: I don’t entirely agree with Mr. Trump, though I have to say that in terms of life, and our culture’s willingness to display so little respect for it, he’s one hundred percent right. There is a moral cancer that is eating away at our national soul, and we’re deluding ourselves if we think that the consequences of abortion are limited to just the baby. We can’t afford to go down wormholes on every minor issue that divides us, but one thing that we must always be united around is the sanctity of life!

JOHN KING: Thank you, Governor Huckabee. I was about to go to you, good timing. Senator Santorum?

RICK SANTORUM: I'm someone who believes that you approach issues using faith and reason. And if your faith is pure and your reason is right, they'll end up in the same place. I think the key to the success of this country, how we all live together, because we are a very diverse country-remember that Madison called it the perfect remedy-which was to allow everybody, people of faith and no faith, to come in and make their claims in the public square, to be heard, have those arguments, and not to say because you're not a person of faith, you need to stay out, because you have strong faith convictions, your opinion is invalid. Just the opposite-we get along because we know that we…that all of our ideas are allowed in and tolerated. That's what makes America work.

JOHN KING: Congressman Paul, does faith have a role in these public issues, the public square, or is it a personal issue at your home and in your church?

RON PAUL: I think faith has something to do with the character of the people that represent us, and law should have a moral fiber to it and our leaders should too. We shouldn't expect us to try and go about changing morality. You can't teach people how to be moral.

But the Constitution addresses this by saying, and it literally and explicitly says no to theocracy. But it doesn't talk about church and state. The most important thing is the First Amendment. Congress shall write no laws-which means Congress should never prohibit the expression of your Christian faith in a public place.
JOHN KING: Since we’re on this subject, we’ll do a quick left to right run through. Let me start at this end, we'll just go right through. I'll describe it this way. Are you a George W. Bush Republican, meaning you favor a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, or a Dick Cheney who believes such laws belong at the state level? Senator Santorum?

RICK SANTORUM: I favor a constitutional amendment. Remember, the constitutional amendment process includes the states. Three-quarters of the states have to ratify it. So the states will be involved in this process. We should have one law in the country with respect to marriage. There needs to be consistency on something as foundational as what marriage is, which is between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others!

JOHN KING: All right, Congresswoman Bachmann?

MICHELLE BACHMANN: I firmly believe in marriage and preserving its traditional definition. I also believe in the 10th amendment. I, being a woman of strong faith, believes very strongly that marriage is between a man and a woman. I carried that legislation when I was a senator in Minnesota, and I believe that for children, the best possible way to raise children is to have a mother and father in their life.

Now, I didn't come from a perfect background. My parents were divorced. And I was raised by a single mother. There's a lot of single families and families with troubled situations. That's why my husband and I have broken hearts for at-risk kids and it's why we took 23 foster children into our home. The goal shouldn’t be legislating morality; morality cannot be legislated. The goal should be what is best for American families.

JOHN KING: Thank You, Congresswoman. Ambassador Bolton?

JOHN BOLTON: I’m not against civil-unions being implemented by the states. I tend to favor the traditional definition of marriage, and I agree with Senator Santorum that the breakdown of the American family is a very serious concern. But I don’t think the federal government needs to take regulating the definition of marriage upon them. The states are free to do that on their own.

JOHN KING: Thank you, Ambassador. Governor Huckabee?

MIKE HUCKABEE: We’re pawning our countries values when we surrender on cultural issues. I’m a Minister, and like Congresswoman Bachmann, I’m a very devoted follower of Christ. The savior I’ve embraced would never compromise on virtue. Our world couldn’t afford it. And we can’t afford to do it now, either. So we’ll take a stand for what is right, and push for an amendment to our constitution that enshrines marriage as an institution and keeps it out of the clutches of activist judges who want to tear down everything they view as old-fashioned.

(Applause)

JOHN KING: Governor Romney?

MITT ROMNEY: I’d pursue an amendment.

JOHN KING: Mr. Trump?

DONALD TRUMP: I’m all for leaving it up to the states, which I think is the proper way to handle matters like this. I believe in traditional marriage, I really do. But I think we ought to grant gay couples, and I’ve got a lot of friends who are gay and they’re good people, I think they should receive the same rights and benefits as a married straight couple. We might not call it a marriage, but they deserve equal rights and equal opportunities.
JOHN KING: Mr. Trump, you have said that you are not going to back the nominee regardless of who comes out the victor in the primary process. Are you going to stand by those statements?

DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, I’m going to stand behind them completely. Why’d I be doing this if I didn’t think I was the best guy for the job? If I don’t win, I don’t win, but I don’t plan on supporting someone who is going to keep on doing what the politicians have been doing for far too long. If the nominee isn’t someone who is a conservative like me, they don’t deserve my vote.

NEWT GINGRICH: I find this attitude, Donald, I find it very troubling, and I think it speaks about your fitness for office, because when you’re in power, you’ve got to work with people. You have to cut deals-

DONALD TRUMP: Newt, I know you think you’re some kind of Professor but let’s not get over your head, you don’t have the rights to attack me on two things: women and cutting deals.

(Heavy applause, scattered boos from the audience)

NEWT GINGRICH: You keep blaming the politicians, and they are the problem, you’re right, but you have to have solutions if you want to be any better than them-

DONALD TRUMP: I have plenty of solutions, Newt-

NEWT GINGRICH: Look, Donald, if we don’t unite as a party, we won’t defeat Obama, and then he’ll continue to keep up the charade that we can just borrow our way to prosperity. It’s now or never, and we can’t afford to be taking potshots at each other, potshots on Twitter, potshots on the debate stage, when we could be working to advance the cause of a common sense conservative agenda.

MICHELLE BACHMANN: The eleventh commandment, guys, remember Reagan’s eleventh commandment!

DONALD TRUMP: I’m not gonna pledge to support another Obama, no. And this party could nominate one.

RON PAUL: Mr. Trump’s right in the sense that we can’t pledge ourselves to just anybody. We need to stand for something if we want to take a stand against what this administration is doing. If I don’t view our party’s nominee or platform as being in the interests of a constitutionalist minded voter, than I don’t see why I should support him?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

JOHN KING: I have with me out here in the audience John Brown, a 25 year Navy veteran who is a New Hampshire voter.

JOHN BROWN: We recently came close to killing Osama Bin Laden according to most sources, though even if the raid ended in his capture or killing, we’d still have the war in Afghanistan continuing for the tenth straight year. What do you suppose we do to bring it to a close? This question is for anyone, but I’d like to hear from Mr. Trump first.

DONALD TRUMP: Thank you John for your service and your question. You guys are the best. The best! Am I right? Are our armed forces personnel just amazing or what everybody? Give them a hand!

(Applause from the audience)

DONALD TRUMP: What happened in Pakistan was a crime. People should be put in jail for that kind of reckless incompetence. We don’t know if Bin Laden was there or not, much less whether the Pakistani government were protecting him. We don’t know and Obama’s people aren’t talking. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Navy Seals, the toughest, baddest, most elite and professional fighting force in the world, died in this mission. Why did we think that’d work? Why’d we think Pakistan could be trusted or wouldn’t be alarmed by our invasion? We should’ve used a drone. We could’ve blown Bin Laden or whoever the hell was there to Kingdom come, and we didn’t! It’s because our leaders and our President are stupid!

(Thunderous applause)

JOHN KING: Governor Romney?

MITT ROMNEY: We need to do whatever we can to secure America and root out these terrorist networks. Osama Bin Laden is not dead, Al Qaida is still active and still a threat, and we will still need to keep the fight up until we finish the mission. I think now is the time for the United States to double-down and annihilate Al Qaida, because despite the reckless way the Abbottabad mission was handled, we’ve clearly shown that we can root out their top command. We need to fight smart, and we need to fight hard. President Obama has clearly shown he’s incapable of either.

JOHN KING: Congressman Paul, do you agree with the Governor?

RON PAUL: No, not quite. I served five years in the military. I've had a little experience. I've spent a little time over in the Pakistan/Afghanistan area. But I wouldn't wait for my generals. I'm the commander in chief. I make the decisions. I tell the generals what to do. I respect their opinions, but their duty is to serve, and the President’s duty is to lead. And I’ll lead by doing what is right; I'd bring the troops home as quickly as possible. And I would get them out of Iraq as well. And on top of that, I surely wouldn't start another war in Libya. And I'd quit bombing Yemen. And I'd quit bombing Pakistan.

I’m by no means a proponent of a big budget, or a big government approach to healthcare, but if we need to spend the money I'd start by taking care of the people here at home. We could save hundreds of billions of dollars. Our national security is not enhanced by our presence over there. We have no purpose there. We should learn the lessons of history. The longer we're there, the worse things are and the more danger we're in as well, because our presence there is not making friends let me tell you.

JOHN KING: Mr. Trump, do you agree with Governor Romney or Congressman Paul?

DONALD TRUMP: I think I agree with both of them, but I like what Congressman Paul just said about the generals. I watch the shows, I read the situation on the ground, and I see what’s going on in places like Libya and it’s not good. We need new leadership. We need tough, decisive, sensible leaders. I know more than a lot of the Generals – and let me tell you, we have some smart generals – and I know which generals to listen to. I’m only going to take advice from the winners. None of these Obama Generals, you know, the ones who say “oh we’ll be attacking on such and such a date” and so on.

MIKE HUCKABEE: John, if I may interject, I just want to express my serious concern at what Mr. Trump just said. He just said “I know more than the Generals.” Now, he may know more about the shiny slick buildings in Manhattan. But these men, they’ve committed more to this country than any of us could possibly imagine. They have experiences we can’t imagine-their Vietnam was Vietnam, while Mr. Trump’s was, according to his own book, the years spent philandering in filth with the spouses of several of his associates. I think it takes an extreme amount of nerve, Mr. Trump-

DONALD TRUMP: -Mike-

MIKE HUCKABEE: -to make such a comment. That takes a lot of chutzpah, Don-

DONALD TRUMP: -are you finished yet?

(Laughter, scattered boos from the audience)

MIKE HUCKABEE: -that you can’t show even the slightest

DONALD TRUMP: -Aye yay yay Mike! I think the American people love the troops, but they’re puzzled by the Generals. Why don’t we have more Pattons anymore? Why’d we lose Vietnam? Why are bogged down in Iraq? Where is the leadership? The people are looking-

JOHN BOLTON: -we didn’t lose Vietnam! That is disgusting-

DONALD TRUMP: -you didn’t go! You didn’t go and I know I didn’t go! None of us wanted to go, and none of the guys there-the brave heroes who fought there alongside the heroes who literally died for…for what? We didn’t see a point then, and we stayed out. A lot of good folks did. A lot of better guys went. I don’t know why John has to lie-

JOHN BOLTON: Everything you just-

RON PAUL: I have to agree with Mr. Trump on the war, and on the generals. I was there. I know a lot of you guys didn’t go. A lot of you stayed behind. And you weren’t wrong, the government doesn’t have any natural or constitutional right to compel you into what basically amounts to slavery. But when you chose to stay behind, you forfeited any confidence you had in whatever we were doing over there. It was an ugly war, it was a brutal war, and believe me and the men who weren’t so lucky, I missed the worst of it! So for Ambassador Bolton to uh, to….to continue beating the drums for yet another war, it just….it takes a special kind of hypocrisy. I think Mike used the right word, he called it chutzpah, and it is worse than that, its just pure eh….pure hooey.

JOHN KING: Ambassador Bolton, you surely must have something to say?

JOHN BOLTON: I think I’ve made it clear that I’m the most seasoned, reliable voice on foreign and security matters. The fact is, the world of Donald Trump and Ron Paul is a world that blames America first, that coddles dictators and Islamic terrorists and left-wing radicals and anti-Semites, that allows for people like Hitler to roam freely and wreak havoc. It’s wrong!
JOHN KING: We’re down to our last minute or so, we’re just going to run from left to right with a quick hot seat segment. Congressman Paul, Blackberry or IPhone?

RON PAUL: Uh…eh, the eh, Blackberry.

JOHN KING: Blackberry, alright. Governor Pawlenty, this one is a bit more serious: coke or pepsi?

TIM PAWLENTY: Coke. Definitely coke.

JOHN KING: Speaker Gingrich, American Idol or America’s Got Talent?

NEWT GINGRICH: Uh, well, I don’t really watch the other one but Calista and I think American Idol is great. We watch it a lot, we really love watching some of these great-

DONALD TRUMP: My show was better!

(Laughter from audience)

NEWT GINGRICH: -we loved The Apprentice too, Donald. But Calista and I definitely like seeing these talented, gifted young people who are just starting out. American Idol is…it’s a great, all American, good family show.

JOHN KING: Ok, American Idol it is. Mr. Trump, you’ve been both a Democrat and an Independent over the years, and just over a decade ago you ran on the Reform Party ticket supporting government healthcare-

DONALD TRUMP: I thought you said this was going to be light.

JOHN KING: It is, it is, we’re just getting to the question: which Republican’s legacy do you admire?

DONALD TRUMP: Sure, sure, uh, I admire William F. Buckley, I thought he was a brilliant guy and he and I met a few times at different events in Manhattan. Uh, aside from him, I have to say I admire all of the Republican presidents. The Roosevelts were tough, uh, and so was Richard Nixon, who I think people often forget about because of Watergate which I think is totally unfair. Uh, Ronald Reagan of course, he made America great, things were so great, the country felt so well, so strong, so safe under him. He was a tremendous, tremendous man!

JOHN KING: Governor Romney, say you’re down in South Carolina campaigning and you’ve gone to get yourself some wings: hot or spicy?

MITT ROMNEY: Oh, I love ‘em hot. Fire ‘em up, and get them spicy-and by the way, Bruins are up 4-0!  

JOHN KING: Alright, alright, Governor Romney likes the hot wings. I’ll make a note of that; Governor Huckabee? Elvis or Johnny Cash?

HUCKABEE: Ouch, that one made my head spin! That is a tough one. I think I’m going with Johnny Cash, because while I love Elvis and some good ‘ole rock and roll, I think Johnny Cash’s personal story of hope and triumph over tragedy and pain is clear in a lot of his songs, which are pure American classics.

JOHN KING: Ambassador Bolton, it is 2015, you are the 45th President, and you’ve just made a historic deal to solve a major international crisis, perhaps with North Korea’s young dictator Kim Jong Un in which you manage to overcome almost every major obstacle you set out to eliminate. Our opponents have only one demand: you shave your moustache-

JOHN BOLTON: -I can hear the 24 theme music playing now-

(Laughter from audience)

JOHN BOLTON: The answer is yes, by the way, without question!

JOHN KING: Good to know, (chuckling), good to know! Congresswoman, we got a question that many women have written-in wanting us to ask, though we left it for this brief, concluding personal portion because it isn’t relevant to the campaign but has generated a lot of human interest: if elected, you’d be the first woman to be elected President. Your husband, would be the first male spouse of an American president. The official title would be First Gentleman, though something tells me you have a better one lined up-

MICHELLE BACHMANN: -you know, John, I’m glad this question is being asked and I like how it’s being asked. I’m a working mother and wife, and I know how hard it is to balance career and family. I think a lot of people have a curiosity around this sorta stuff, and that isn’t necessarily sexist because I find it very sweet and innocent natured, but I think the role’s tradition wouldn’t be too radically altered. I am running to be Commander-in-Chief, because I have my husband with me always as my protector-in-chief. And to answer the actual question-some of us in Washington still do that-let me just say that I’m shamelessly ripping off my dear friend Sarah, but he’s going to be the First Dude.

JOHN KING: And at last, Senator Santorum. Wrap us up, Senator: Leno or Conan?

RICK SANTORUM: I have eight children. I’m never up for either and I haven’t been for over twenty years!

JOHN KING: And that is all the time we have tonight, my great thanks to our candidates for their time and their cooperation as we prepared for this. Good night, and on behalf of CNN, thanks for watching.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

This is very well done, keep it up.

Thanks! I thought I had lost the files to this timeline, but after digging them back up I've decided to reboot this.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011: Trump declares victory post-debate.

   
DALLAS, TX: Taking the campaign to a state not usually contested in the summer of the preceding year, Donald Trump addressed a massive crowd of nearly 10,000 people in Dallas, Texas, where he made a number of statements on the previous night’s debate. Trump, who said that he was “the clear winner” (citing online polls taken afterwards), was particularly vocal in his opinions of his Republican rivals and their performances. Making waves when he stated “I can’t vote for some of these guys,” Trump singled out Mitt Romney in particular, whom he noted was “just like Obama!.”

“Some of these guys, they just seem so wimpy!” boomed Trump to the audience’s laughter, continuing.

“I felt sorry for Governor Romney, he just had such a hard time up there last night.” Trump also pointed out former Speaker Gingrich, who he claimed “babbles on like a professor who doesn’t really know anything” and claimed that Gingrich’s desire “to be the judge” annoyed him. Trump drew even more laughter when he mocked the Speaker, asking “is he even seriously running?” Governor Pawlenty was “sometimes onto something” but mostly “way too boring” to take on the President, while Congressman Paul came across “smart but kooky-totally unelectable, no way, no how, no chance” according to Trump. Governor Huckabee was similarly attacked, with Trump claiming that his “radical policies” on social issues will alienate centrist voters. Trump also stated Huckabee lacked “the fire in the belly” needed to be a serious challenge to President Obama. On Ambassador Bolton, Trump’s critique was more personal: “they weren’t listening to him,” Trump joked, “they were staring at that moustache-and they say I’m not presidential enough! Those whiskers are the most un-presidential thing I’ve ever seen!”

Trump was not entirely critical of his components; while consistently maintaining that he was the strongest candidate, Trump did praise Senator Santorum as “a good guy” who “knows what we’re talking about in regards to trade.” Santorum, according to Trump however, was tragically doomed as his views on gay marriage and abortion “sound really extreme.” Congresswoman Bachmann also found the favor of the billionaire, whom he described as “a real sweet lady. She’s so terrific, and she’s so nice, and she’s really tough too.” Trump also commented on some other potential candidates; Trump asked the audience “should Rudy run?” (referring to the former New York Mayor) and was answered by a resounding wave of boos. “I think he’s gonna end up endorsing me!” Trump answered, to loud cheers in response. Governor Pataki, Trump predicted, “won’t make the stage” if he ran, while offering more nuanced advice to Governors Christie and Palin. “Run against me, and we might all lose” Trump warned, before adding “they’re my friends, they’ll support me, and they’ll help us make America great again!”

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011: First post-debate polls show Trump rising.

2016 Republican Presidential Nomination (Gallup)
Donald Trump: 17%
Mitt Romney: 12%
Mike Huckabee: 12%
Mitch Daniels: 10%
Ron Paul: 9%
Rudy Giuliani: 7%
Rick Perry: 7%
Michelle Bachmann: 6%
Newt Gingrich: 4%
Sarah Palin: 4%
Chris Christie: 3%
John Bolton: 3%
Tim Pawlenty: 2%
Jon Huntsman: 2%
Rick Santorum: 1%
Gary Johnson: 1%
Italics indicate undeclared candidate.

Hardball.

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011:

Washington, DC.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Tonight for our panel, we have Pat Buchanan and Bob Shrum with us to discuss tonight the shifting numbers in a Republican race that seems to be increasingly focused around Donald Trump. A new Gallup poll released today shows Trump as the new frontrunner for the Republican Party nomination, leading Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee by five points. Mitch Daniels, who was billed as the “anti-Romney” who could build bridges among Tea Party and establishment minded Republicans alike, is appearing to flounder, while Michelle Bachmann’s entry into the race puts her in the middle of a horse race increasingly centered on personality. Pat, Donald Trump is running on a platform of tariffs, uh, protectionism, relative isolationism-not the Ron Paul kind, but still, a serious departure, and making very hard-nosed immigration policies. What is propelling this sudden embrace of Trump’s relatively old school brand of conservatism, Bob Taft style America-First stuff?

PAT BUCHANAN: The people aren’t fooled anymore, Chris. They’ve been awakening to it ever since the end of the Cold War. The so called “New World Order” that President Bush promised sounded scary then, but now it’s just become, as Mr. Trump would phrase it, “a sad stinking failure.” We saw it when I ran in 1992 and 1996. We saw Ross Perot campaign against the trade deals to considerable success. This year, you’re seeing the American people want to embrace a true outsider. That is why Donald Trump is making head waves, as is to a far, far, far lesser degree my friend Congressman Paul.

BOB SHRUM: Well, this isn’t a “reaction” to anything other than emotion, but it is certainly a rather frightening evolution. The Republican Party has been moving farther and farther to the right after our President was elected, and they are only painting itself into a corner if they keep moving that way. They’ve been playing games with our budget, they’ve consistently undermined our President in their quest to make President Obama a one term President, and their new frontrunner has even questioned the President’s legitimacy as a citizen! I could explain what is happening to the GOP, but I think it’s too fun to try and get in the way off. The Republican Party, after their conduct in these last three years, deserve to go down with Trump.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, Pat-

PAT BUCHANAN: -Chris, Chris, Chris, I enjoy wishful thinking too but I think I need to remind Bob about some facts here. Donald Trump is engaging voters in a way that the others can’t comprehend. He came into the race with his guns blazing, he thrust himself right into the center of the race, he’s connected to voters that Romney wouldn’t ever dream to target, and his message is catching on! I can’t think of a more exciting time to be a Republican.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, Pat, the Republican Party is just absolutely helpless against Trump it seems. He entered the race, he insulted Mexicans, he challenged the President’s citizenship very enthusiastically, he gave out a Senator’s cell phone number at a rally, he denied that John McCain was a war hero, and his Twitter feed is just headline after headline. Why are they so helpless? What is making Trump so…so Teflon?

PAT BUCHANAN: The Republican voters are waking up. They hear every Republican nominee year after year offer them the same message, the same vision, and yet, they don’t quite get that it hasn’t exactly worked. This is why Bush and Dole lost to Clinton, it’s why Bush only barely won the Presidency over Gore and Kerry, and it is why McCain was smashed and why Romney or Daniels will be if they’re put up against him as well. The Republican Party is drifting to a much more traditionally conservative ideology, but the leaders seem to be oblivious.

BOB SHRUM: I think we all know what it is all about. We have a black President, with a black wife, and two black daughters. We see an American that is rapidly, day by day, becoming increasingly diverse and multi-cultural. We see an America where Hispanic and Latino people will be almost proportional to whites. Then consider the cultural and technical advances and how they’ve changed our economy and our society, and the current economic climate along with the wars overseas, and you’ll get a perfect storm of white resentment-

PAT BUCHANAN: -Not everything is about race, Bob! Far be it from-

BOB SHRUM: -Oh, Pat, come on now, this man who is the frontrunner now started his campaign by sounding a declaration of war against Hispanic Americans! His whole campaign is based around tired and aged values from a bygone era, when America was whiter, was less diverse, and less equal-

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Well, Bob raises an interesting point because Trump’s record as a conservative is in doubt-

PAT BUCHANAN: I remember well, Chris, he briefly ran against me-

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Yeah, that’s true, he did run for the Reform Party unofficially and briefly, and he was for universal healthcare! Trump has also been pro-choice, pro-gay rights, and was a Democrat at one time. Why are so many conservative and Tea Party minded voters rallying around a man who has been on every side of every issue and in every party? Why is Mitt Romney’s brief stint as a Democrat when he backed Paul Tsongas in 1992 an issue, when Tsongas was a budget hawk, but not Trumps?

BOB SHRUM: The Republican base isn’t exactly thrilled with Romney’s brand of Republicanism, because many of these voters, especially the blue collar, working or middle class ones who have reaped the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and other Obama policies. The thing is, Trump isn’t any different kind of Republican. He’s the same as the others, if now worse! His populist rhetoric is simply a nice cover for his supporters to justify listening to their darker impulses and perceptions-

PAT BUCHANAN: Be careful with that attitude, Bob, or you’ll lose a ninth election!

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Oh okay, well that’s all the time we have for this panel tonight. Stay with us, behind the break we have Senator Jim DeMint on the state of the Republican race.
Thursday, June 16th, 2011:
-In protest of the government’s austerity policies, the Greek trade unions call a general strike. Demonstrators encircle the parliament building and attempt to block legislators from entering, which forces police to deploy tear gas and water cannons on the protestors in order to restore order.

-Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC) and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) file a lawsuit against the Obama administration, claiming the President’s military intervention in Libya is illegal under the constitution. The case is widely dismissed by most legal observers as shaky at best, though the action does highlight progressive dissatisfaction with the administration.

-President Obama nominates Tom Donilon to succeed Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense; the Senate Armed Services Committee begins preparations for what is sure to be a contested nomination process. Publically, President Obama expresses confidence that Donilon’s “sterling record” will bring “revitalized leadership” to the Pentagon.

-Former Ambassador Jon Huntsman, participating in a “Politics and Eggs” event in New Hampshire, responds to a student’s question about his potential presidential candidacy by affirming that “we’re about a week out,” apparently forgetting that the event was being broadcast live by C-SPAN. Sources close to Huntsman confirm to the Washington Post that he will indeed soon be entering the race, much to the chagrin of Governor Romney.

-A new video of Ayman al-Zawahiri surfaces; like the previous Bin Laden tape, Zawahiri calls for more attacks against western targets and mocks the Obama administration’s failed incursion into Pakistan.

Thursday, June 16th, 2011: Weiner resigns from Congress in disgrace.

NEW YORK, NY: After a publically humiliating sexting scandal, embattled Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) announced his resignation from Congress during a public statement in New York. The press conference was ended before it began when Weiner announced his resignation in his opening statement, which prompted conservative journalists to cheer and scream “bye bye pervert” while Benjy Bronk of the Howard Stern repeatedly interrupted Weiner’s statement screaming “Senator Weiner, Senator Weiner, the people demand to know: are you more than seven inches!?” before being removed by amused police officers on hand.

Weiner’s resignation sparks a special election in a staunchly Democratic, largely working class district in Queens. The seat, held by Geraldine Ferraro and Charles Schumer at different points in the last four decades, is expected to remain in Democratic hands. Weiner’s affair has greater implications that just Congress, however. Weiner, considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for Mayor of New York in 2013, will likely be forced out of politics for good in the wake of the scandal. To make issues worse, Weiner’s poor relationships with Congressional colleagues (Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi was among the first to call for his resignation) and now with the Clintons (particularly Hillary, who reportedly views Huma as a second daughter) turned against him as well, a comeback is considered unlikely.

The fall from grace that brought down Weiner is considered the most memorable American political sex scandal since Mark Foley, and many of the so called “career obituaries” recounting Weiner’s experiences in Congress even labeled him “a potential future President.” Weiner indicated during his resignation speech that he intends to seek treatment for sex addiction, and asked for the media and paparazzi to respect the privacy of his wife and son, whom he repeatedly apologized too during his address.

Friday, June 17th, 2011: Trump tops major Straw Poll.

Trump addresses supporters after winning the SRLC straw poll.

NEW ORLEANS, LA: The Southern Republican Leadership Conference concluded with a presidential straw poll to get a feel of the mood of the GOP’s grassroots activists in regards to the 2012 presidential race. The poll, which included the names of all current Republican presidential candidates as well as allowing for write-ins from the audience, was won by Donald Trump, whose grassroots appeal allowed him to edge out Congressman Ron Paul, who has carried the other influential CPAC Straw Poll year after year.

One of the most notable stories coming out of the summit was the third place finish of Jon Huntsman, who is reportedly planning to officially announce his presidential campaign in the coming days. After giving a strong speech in which he elaborated on Utah’s economic growth during his term has Governor, Huntsman addressed China, praising potential rival Donald Trump’s “tough talk” on China and speaking at length as he worked through a laundry list of concerns about China’s increasingly influential role in world affairs. Bridging the gap between moderate and conservative Republicans alike and placing a strong and unexpected third in the poll, Huntsman has been hailed the real winner of the conference.

Presidential candidates Michelle Bachmann, John Bolton, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Donald Trump and Rick Santorum spoke at the conference, where Trump drew the biggest crowd and the largest buzz. However, Trump’s speech was uncharacteristically subdued as he refused to criticize his fellow Republican candidates, instead elaborating on the need for the United States to “get real” on the immigration debate. Calling for the construction of what has been deemed by the press as “the wall,” Trump’s speech was followed by a lengthy standing ovation by the crowd as throngs of supporters pushed forward to meet the new Republican frontrunner.

Congressman Ron Paul placed a solid second, attributed to the presence of hundreds of well organized, enthusiastic young supporters who have taken to his libertarian message. Following in third was the surge for Huntsman, succeeded by former Governor Huckabee, whose grasp on Tea Party and rural voters has been threatened by Trump’s rapid rise. Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, Governor Mitch Daniels (who is not currently a candidate), and former Speaker Newt Gingrich all were relatively well received, but all three simply failed to elicit the same excitement as Trump.

2011 Southern Republican Leadership Conference Straw Poll: 1,542 Votes.
Donald Trump: 380 votes.
Ron Paul: 315 votes.
Jon Huntsman: 245 votes.
Mike Huckabee: 198 votes.
Michelle Bachmann: 136 votes.
Mitch Daniels: 90 votes.
Newt Gingrich: 55 votes.
Mitt Romney: 40 votes.
Rick Perry: 21 votes.
John Bolton: 17 votes.
Gary Johnson: 10 votes.
Tim Pawlenty: 9 votes.
Chris Christie: 7 votes.
Rick Santorum: 6 votes.
Sarah Palin: 4 votes.
George Pataki: 3 votes.
Rudy Giuliani: 2 votes.
Thad McCotter: 2 votes.
Buddy Roemer: 2 votes.
Jim Gilmore: 1 vote.
Italics indicate non-declared candidate.
Saturday, June 18th, 2011:
-Musician Clarence Clemmons, best known for his work with Bruce Springsteen, dies following a massive stroke.

-Protestors in Morocco demand King Muhammed VI liberalize the country even further, claiming the reforms instituted recently don’t go far enough in satisfying their demands.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Saturday, June 18th, 2011: Rumors swirl in Austin: is Perry in or out?

AUSTIN, TX: Speculation over Governor Rick Perry’s presidential aspirations has grown in the weeks since he first floated a run as Donald Trump continues to rise above the Republican pack. Perry, the conservative Governor of Texas, has been approached by numerous figures in Texas and from Washington seeking his entrance to the race as the latest “anti-Romney.” With President Obama in a precarious position as he gears up to seek a second term, and with Mitt Romney’s campaign seemingly floundering in the face of Trump, Rick Perry has been touted as a reliably conservative, sufficiently electable alternative.

Perry, should he run, wouldn’t be the only “anti-Romney” candidate. Governors Daniels and Pawlenty, both of whom have struggled to make traction in the race, have attempted to position themselves as the most notable, garden variety movement conservative Republican alternative. Others believe that Governor Huntsman will, upon entering the race, be able to dispel concerns about his more moderate views and unite the party. Even still, some in the Tea Party have rejected Trump as not being “a true conservative” and have chosen to back Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Rick Santorum instead. Rick BrPerry potentially stands to profit from such dissatisfaction from conservatives, and could possibly steal momentum away from Trump.

The “shadow campaign” that has been put in place should Perry enter the race has been busily lining up strategists and political allies. With a large Republican primary field in a contest thus far dominated by personality, Rick Perry’s aide and likely campaign manager Joe Allbaugh (a former Director of FEMA) told Politico that a late entry in the race will “jolt the Governor right to the top, where he’ll stay.” Allbaugh predicted that Perry’s charisma and personality will likely peel away Huckabee supporters and position the Texan Governor as the main conservative rival to Trump and Romney.
Sunday, June 19th, 2011: Qaddafi forces turn their artillery on civilians in Misrata in an attempt to terrorize the community into submission. NATO forces strike these artillery positions in an effort to halt the carnage, but Libyan troops continue to pound the city with mortar strikes.

Sunday, June 19th, 2011: Chris Christie firmly shuts door on 2012 run.

MENDHAM, NJ: Chris Christie released a statement after spending the weekend with his family at their private home in Mendham, New Jersey, in which he made clear his intention to not seek the Presidency. Christie, in his statement, attributed his decision to run mainly due to three key obstacles: the potential entrances of Mitch Daniels and Rick Perry into the race, the omnipresence of Donald Trump (whom Christie referred to as “his good friend”), and most critically, the reluctance of his family.

With Christie out of the race in his words “for good,” the field for the Republican nomination is starting to slowly settle. Former Ambassador Jon Huntsman is expected to enter the presidential race next week, while former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former New York Governor George Pataki, and Texas Governor Rick Perry also considering entering the presidential race. Christie’s decision to forgo a run for President is good news for Governor Romney, who will already be forced to compete for votes with Jon Huntsman. Donald Trump, who would have an equally outspoken rival in Christie, also expressed his own relief on Twitter, where he tweeted that “running against a friend wouldn’t be any fun at all. I like Chris!”

Courted by many figures, including Fox’s Roger Ailes according to some reports, the draft effort largely stalled after Mitch Daniels began toying with the race. However, as Daniels failed to gain any major traction since he began testing the waters, speculation around Christie quickly rekindled itself as the Governor began to take a more serious second look. In announcing the decision he had finally reached, Christie vowed to support the Republican nominee and stated that an endorsement would come “at an appropriate time.”
Monday, June 20th, 2011:
-Jackass star Ryan Dunn is killed in a car crash in West Gorshen, Pennsylvania. His death in the high speed crash sends fans into mourning.

-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announces his country will veto a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Assad regime’s crackdown in Syria. Secretary of State Clinton condemns Russia for “supporting atrocities across the Middle East” and encourage Medvedev to “rethink” the resolution.

-Jon Huntsman’s PAC announces the Ambassador will make an official announcement about his candidacy in New York City.

Jon.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011:

New York City, NY.

I'm Jon Huntsman, and I'm humbled. I've been a governor of the great state of Utah. I've been a businessman. I've been a diplomat. I'm the husband of the love of my life, the greatest human being I've ever known, Mary Kaye, for 28 years. I'm the father of seven terrific kids. I'm the son of great parents, who are here with me today. I'm from the American west, where the view of America is limitless with lots of blue sky. I've lived overseas four times, where the view of America from 10,000 miles away is a picture of liberty, opportunity and justice. People secure in their rights and in love with their liberty. People who have done more good for more people than any other nation on earth.

And today, I'm a candidate for the office of President of the United States of America; my kids still can't believe I just said that.

I'm asking for the greatest privilege Americans can bestow on a fellow citizen, and you're entitled to know the reasons why.

You see today Americans are experiencing, through no fault of their own, something that is totally alien to them. It is a sense that the deck is stacked against them by forces totally beyond their control. It just seems to them that no matter how hard they work, save, and plan, the opportunities are not there for them as they were for previous generations.

But perhaps saddest of all, is that we’ve lost faith in ourselves. For the first time in history, we are passing down to the next generation a country that is less powerful, less compassionate, less competitive and less confident than the one we got. This is totally unacceptable and it is totally un-American. It need not, must not, and will not be our permanent condition. We will not be the first American generation that lets down the next generation.

We have the power, the means, and the character to astonish the world again by making from adversity a new and better country; this inexhaustible land of promise and opportunity. You see, we currently have everything a nation could hope for. We have our freedom, though it sometimes feels it is under assault. We have rule of law, though sometimes it is not applied as fairly as in past administrations. We have the longest surviving Constitution in the world, though it too often is put on the wayside by the President. But what they can never take away from the American people is our abiding and enduring belief in individual liberty and personal responsibility.

We still have freedom of speech, religion and press. We still produce a quarter of the world's GDP. We are still the most productive society on earth. We still have the finest colleges and universities, and the most powerful, skilled and selfless armed forces. And we still have character; character that made a new world from a wilderness; character that made the desert bloom and the glass and steel cities rise to the heavens; character that made the world safer, freer, and more prosperous.

What we now need is leadership that trusts in our strength. Leadership that doesn't promise Washington has all of the solutions to our problems, but rather looks to local solutions from our cities, towns and states. Leadership that knows we need more than hope, leadership that knows we need answers.

We must make hard decisions that are necessary to avert disaster. If we don't, in less than a decade, every dollar of federal revenue will go to covering the costs of Medicare, Social Security and interest payments on our debt. Meanwhile, we'll sink deeper into debt for everything else from national security to disaster relief.

Our country will fall behind the productivity of other countries. Our influence in the world will wane. Our security will grow ever more precarious. And the 21st century will then be known to the world as the end of the American Century. We can't accept this, and we won't.

Here lies the challenge; a strong America is a united one. Our political debates today are corrosive and not reflective of the belief that Abraham Lincoln espoused back in his day, which was as true then as it is even now: that we are a great country because we are a good country.

You know what I mean when I say that. We will conduct this campaign on the high road. I don't think you need to run down someone's reputation in order to run for the Office of President. Of course we'll have our disagreements. That's what campaigns are all about. But I want you to know that I respect my fellow Republican candidates-even those who won’t respect me. And despite our disagreements, I respect the President of the United States, our President, and I was very grateful to serve our country and our Commander-in-Chief as Ambassador to China.

He and I have a difference of opinion on how to help a country we both love. The question each of us wants the voters to answer is who will be the better President; not who's the better American. Now, behind me is our most famous symbol of the promise of America, the Statue of Liberty. President Reagan launched the 1980 general election campaign from this very spot. It was a time of trouble, worry and difficulty.

He assured us we could "make America great again," and through his leadership, he did. He did that by reaching out, not swatting down. He did that not by dividing a nation, but rather, by bringing it together. He did all of this with that endearing smile, a kind word for those who had little good to say of him, and a servants heart. It is time to end silly-season in the Republican Party and in the White House alike; we can and we must overcome the politics of personality or profit and run our country in a manner befitting the dignified, honest, ethical, hardworking, compassionate rainbow fabric of the American people.

Today, I stand in Ronald Reagan’s shadow as well as the shadow of this magnificent monument to our liberty.

For 125 years, through triumphs and hardships of all kinds, her lamp has been a beacon reflecting America's highest aspirations and values. America's promises have been kept. Each generation in their turn has worked very hard to keep her lit. Now it's our turn.

Our challenges are many and urgent. But our problems are no bigger than our opportunities. They're not insurmountable for a people who've always used our freedom to make the future better than the past. We are a resourceful, ingenious, determined, problem solving people.

We don't settle for less than our character and talents will achieve. We choose our destiny as a nation. We always have, and we always will. This is that moment, this is our time. We're not just choosing new leaders. We're choosing whether we are to be yesterday's story or tomorrow's. Everything is at stake. I'm Jon Huntsman, I'm running for President of the United States, and I’m asking for your help. Thank you, and God Bless.
2016 Republican Presidential Nomination (Gallup)
Donald Trump: 21%
Mitt Romney: 16%
Mike Huckabee: 15%
Mitch Daniels: 11%
Ron Paul: 9%
Rudy Giuliani: 7%
Rick Perry: 7%
Michelle Bachmann: 5%
Jon Huntsman: 5%
Newt Gingrich: 4%
Sarah Palin: 3%
John Bolton: 2%
Tim Pawlenty: 1%
George Pataki: 1%
Rick Santorum: 1%
Gary Johnson: 1%
Italics indicate undeclared candidate.
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011:
-Syrian forces mass along the border near refugee camps in Turkey, forcing the Turkish military to mobilize in response. Secretary of State Clinton flies to Ankara to meet with Prime Minister Erdogan in order to urge restraint, a mission that is relatively successful for an otherwise beleaguered State Department.

-President Obama, addressing a luncheon in New York City celebrating the LGBT rights movement, states that “gays and lesbians deserve the same rights under the law” as heterosexuals, a sign that the Obama administration might embrace calls from activists for the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011: Budget talks stall.

WASHINGTON, DC: Vice President Biden told reporters that talks between Biden and Republican congressional leaders have reached an impasse over proposed tax increases. Eric Cantor, House Majority Leader, and Jon Kyl, Senate Minority Whip, reportedly walked out of the talks when it became apparent that the administration would not relent in their push for matching tax increases. Senator Kyl told the press “that this is the worst possible time for President Obama to hold our economy hostage to get a few job killing tax hikes implemented.” Vice President dismissed Senator Kyl’s claims as “malarkey” and added that “the American people are tired of Republican games.” News of the impasse in talks over the debt-ceiling sent stocks tumbling as the August 2nd deadline looms.

As the deadline looms, some Democratic figures in Congress have urged the President to take matters into his own hands should a deal not be reached. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner garnered attention when he publically floated the idea of President Obama simply issuing an executive order suspending the debt-ceiling on the grounds that it could be unconstitutional under the 14th amendment. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney denied that the President has considered such a measure, as did Attorney General Holder. None the less, the rumors set Congressional Republicans into a fury. Tea Party stalwart and bombastic Florida Congressman Allen West (R-FL) declared that President Obama’s plans were “akin to a shakedown of the American people” while Congressman Mo Brooks (R-AL) garnered further controversy when he boomed that “Capitol Hill doesn’t work like the streets of Chicago!”

Should President Obama chose to take extraordinary measures to starve off a potential default on the debt, the administration could find itself locked into a constitutional crisis that could find its way to the Supreme Court. Legal scholars have been mixed on the legality of such a move, though the Republican candidates for President were a united front in opposition to Obama. Congressman Ron Paul spoke to a large crowd in Waterloo, Iowa, where he blasted President Obama “for using the logic of a tyrant” while Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) encouraged Congressman Paul and Congressman Thad McCotter (R-MI), the latest object of presidential speculation, to join her in hosting another rally in opposition to the debt-ceiling increase similar to the “Rage against the Raise” rally earlier this month.  
Friday, June 24th, 2011:
-A bombshell report in the New York Times details the lead up to the Abbottabad raid; according to the report, the CIA tracked Bin Laden’s courier down and followed him back to the compound. The report goes on to detail how the courier’s cell phone contained contacts known to be involved with both the Pakistani Taliban and the ISI. This leads some, including Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, to spread the rumor that the entire raid was a trap meant to ensnare US forces and throw the CIA off Bin Laden’s trail. The Obama administration begins an internal hunt for the leaker of this information as a result of its publication.

-The New York State Senate votes to legalize same-sex marriage, sending the bill to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s desk where it is almost assured to be signed into law.

-In Ankara, Turkey, Secretary of State Clinton warns that Syria’s recent military maneuvers near the border have “dramatically escalated” the situation in the Middle East. Clinton highlights Iranian support for the Assad regime in the speech as another source of regional tension.

Friday, June 24th, 2011: Trump retweets draw fire.

JACKSONVILLE, FL: Donald Trump retweeted a link to a controversial song written by white nationalist musician “Johnny Rebel” called “We’re Gonna Catch Osama Bin Laden.” The song, a relatively tame, satirical, and fast paced song itself failed to offend, though Johnny Rebel’s wider discography has put Donald Trump at the center of allegations of racism. Songs entitled “Coon Town,” “Damn I Wish I Was A n-r” and “Move Them North” are just a few of Rebel’s songs. Trump vigorously denied the allegations during a rally in Jacksonville, Florida, calling them “desperate lies” and “smears being spread by milquetoast Mitt.”

Denying charges of racism, Trump claimed that he was unaware of Rebel’s wider music catalog when he retweeted the link (the tweet read “Great song! Make America Safe Again!), and disavowed Trahan and the support of “neo-Nazi creeps.” Trump further insisted that “they drove him out of the Reform Party” and that “he has spent his entire career advancing equal rights,” a statement that led to many figures, including President Obama ridiculed the statement. Trump has also received flak from among his fellow Republicans, with Mitt Romney labeling Trump’s retweet “a disgrace to the party of Lincoln” while Mike Huckabee also condemned him as well.

Clifford Joseph “Pee Wee” Trahan, a driving instructor in the small town of Crowley, Louisiana, is the reclusive and now retired man behind the “Johnny Rebel” albums. The music career, which Trahan claims is mainly a side hobby, has left Trahan one of the most enigmatic and popular figures in the white nationalist underground music scene. The reclusive “Johnny Rebel” has largely resisted publicity in the wake of the Trump controversy, though he did agree to appear as a guest on the Howard Stern Show alongside Klansman and regular caller Daniel Carver for a combative interview. Trahan in the interview repeatedly voiced his support for Trump despite Trump’s disavowal.
Saturday, June 25th, 2011:
-Malian and Mauritanian soldiers launch an offensive in northern Mali against Al Qaida aligned Islamist groups; they are quickly repelled by the militia forces, losing several men in the process. The incident is a major blow to the African Unions attempt to root out terrorism in North Africa; the President of Mali publically accuses Muammar Qaddafi of supporting the Al Qaida affiliated groups in the aftermath of the failed operation.

-The Syrian military shuts down the Lebanese and Turkish borders, effectively halting the flow of refugees out of the nation. There are unconfirmed reports that the Assad regime has begun to massacre those attempting to flee the country in order to deter further flight and ward off any external attempts to organize anti-Assad refugees into a military force.

-Governor Andrew Cuomo signs legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in New York, making it the largest state in the union to do so.

-On Fox New’s “Red Eye,” Congressman Thad McCotter (R-MI) tells Greg Gutfeld that he is considering entering the Republican primaries as a longshot candidate, describing himself as “the darkest of dark horses.” The eccentric Congressman’s potential candidacy is bolstered by the endorsement of columnist SE Cupp in the following days.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Sunday, June 26th, 2011:
-Former Governor Jim Gilmore tells the Washington Post that he will not seek the Senate seat currently held by retiring Senator Jim Webb in 2012, and instead is eyeing a potential presidential bid instead. The comments by the Governor receive almost zero media attention, and the few who do take notice compare his potential candidacy to that of Buddy Roemer.

-A new SuperPAC named “Ready for Hillary” is set up by a group of ex Clinton ’08 middle tier staffers; they are operating independently of the Secretary and hope to entice her into entering the presidential race as a primary challenger to an unpopular President Obama. Secretary of State Clinton, in an interview with CBS’s Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation, claims to have “zero interest” and affirms her commitment to remaining Secretary of State “for the foreseeable future.”

-Libyan rebels clash with regime forces just 50 miles southwest of Tripoli as the rebels make moves to ensnare Qaddafi and his forces in the capital city.
Monday, June 27th, 2011:
-Syrian President Assad promises to hold talks with opposition leaders, even dangling the possibility of constitutional changes. The Syrian opposition are weary of Assad’s offer, but a number of anti-regime figures offer tepid support for the possible talks.

-The ICC in The Hague issues an arrest warrant for Muammar Qaddafi, his son Saif, and a number of other top regime figures on charges of crimes against humanity.

-With a second aid flotilla destined for the Gaza Strip being organized in neighboring Egypt, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders the Israeli navy to “take any measure necessary” to ensure the blockade of the Gaza Strip continues unhindered.

-Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is convicted on bribery charges after a sensational trial.
Tuesday, June 28th, 2011:
-Hospitals in the Libyan city of Benghazi report shortages of critical supplies, while in Misrata, celebrations break out in reaction to the ICC’s indictment of Qaddafi.

-Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) forms a SuperPAC entitled “Anti-PAC,” which he says will campaign across the country for the overturning of the 2010 Citizen’s United ruling by the Supreme Court.

-Riots break out in Athens once again as striking workers attempt to barricade the parliament building, where they are dispatched by baton wielding police officers who deploy tear gas as well. Leftist MPs denounce the actions of the police as “chemical warfare” and call for a vote of no confidence in the current government.
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011:
-France confirms that they have airdropped military equipment and supplies to Berber rebels in the southwest of the country, in an effort to root out Qaddafi rebels and aligned Al Qaida militia groups.

-Venezuelan state television airs footage of a bald Hugo Chavez visiting an ailing Fidel Castro in his residence; Chavez, who has been in Cuba for medical treatments as he fights cancer, has been the subject of rumors in Caracas after an extended absence from public life. The Venezuelan strongman vows to return to the country in the coming days.
Thursday, June 30th, 2011:
-Newt Gingrich’s campaign is rocked by a damaging staff exodus, with over twenty different in employees in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina quitting due to delayed pay and internal disorder. A number of consultants drop Gingrich as a client, citing the increasingly shrinking viability of his candidacy.

-Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov protests France’s arming of anti-Qaddafi rebels, claiming the action to be in violation of UNSC Resolution 1970, and warning that the actions will contribute to “a Somalia style situation” as a result.
Friday, July 1st, 2011:
-In an audio broadcast on Libyan state television and radio, Qaddafi threatens to target European “homes, offices, and families” in the aftermath of the latest round of NATO attacks against Tripoli.

-The Senate Armed Services Committee begins hearings for Tom Donilon’s nomination to serve as Secretary of Defense. The hearings are largely quiet, though Senator John McCain (R-AZ) grills Donilon on how he'd handle various hypothetical scenarios revolving around the Abbottaod raid.

Thad.

Friday, July 1st, 2011:

Livonia, MI.

"It’s great to be here tonight at Freedom Fest! The music tonight was awesome! Well played. Taking heart despite the times and the weather. Thanks for coming out, folks. I will be brief today, so that none of you get electrocuted. We’re gonna need your help so we can’t have that, right?

First I would like to introduce who’s up here with me. My wife Rita, our daughter Amelia who is thrilled to be with us today. Our son Timothy who is equally thrilled. And not with us today is our son George, who is at work. Which is something that every American should have a chance to do.

We here in Michigan understand that our pursuit of prosperity, our American dream is very much endangered. We have seen a government that has refused to restructure itself for the future as we have, as our entrepreneurs have, and as our families have. We have seen a federal government that has tried to spend its way into prosperity with our money and it has failed. We have seen a federal government that has tried to impose government-run health care upon us despite the consent of the people, and it will fail.

We have seen a government that has bought in to the myth of cap and trade and climate change. And it too will fail. And we have seen a government buy into the concept that the Wall Street banks were too big to fail and that policy has failed. But the one thing that will not fail, for it is too majestic to ever let down Lady Liberty, is you the sovereign American people.

Through your hard work and through your principled devotion to bequeathing to your children a better nation than the one we’ve inherited, have no doubt that we will restructure the government for the future so that it can remain citizen driven, we will restructure the Wall Street banks so the credit can flow and the entrepreneurs and the workers can grow our economy and shape the next American economic century. We will defend America from her enemies and we will always support our brave men and women in uniform that are sacrificing so much for our security and liberty. We will expand freedom to the oppressed to ensure freedom at home for ourselves and we will stand steadfast with our allies in this endeavor, notably our dear ally Israel.

And all those seeking to break off the shackles of oppression, be it in Iran’s “Green Revolution” or be it in the Communist Chinese oppressed lands’ jasmine revolution or be it those who stand up to Hugo Chavez or Castro in Latin America, the United States will remain a beacon of liberty to inspire the oppressed, just as we did on July 2nd when the founders came together to declare their love of liberty and their own independence.

Because we understand five fundamental principles. Our liberty is from God, not the government. Our sovereignty is in our souls, not the soil or a scepter. Our security is from strength, not appeasement or surrender. Our prosperity is from the private sector, not the public sector. And our truths are self-evident, not relative.

These are the principles that will guide us as we move forward into the future. A future which many in this country believe will be one of diminished opportunity for the people of the United States and the next generation. I fundamentally disagree. For those who put their faith in big government, that might make sense that our best days are behind us. But for those who put their faith in the virtuous genius and industrious of you the American people, we know that while it is a hard road ahead, we will have better days, and we will start now.

Too many Americans, too many families, too many people are worried about whether or not they are still sovereign in their country. Whether or not there is a new concept at work where some individuals are considered disposable citizens. Where they are too small to matter. They are wrong. Every single one of you, every single American is the faith and future of this country. And what we need in Washington is someone who understands that the wave of the future is not big government, it is self-government. Someone in Washington who will truly feel and understand the pain and the anguish of 14 million unemployed Americans. The feeling of being trapped of up to 30 million Americans today who cannot find better jobs, because they are not there. People who understand that at a period of time of when inflation is rising and wages are declining. People who need to know that someone in Washington, no matter how derided or disposable someone else thinks you are, will stand for you.

I am announcing my candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination today!

And so with your support and the support of anybody who will march beneath or beside the banner of the Republican Party, I look forward to working with you to ensure that once more through the unfathomable grace of God and the virtuous genius of you her free people, our free republic will again be a virtuous, prosperous, compassionate inspiration that will show all the world what a free people can achieve.

Thank you very much for having me and I look forward to playing with the band."
Saturday, July 2nd, 2011:
-The Sudanese army occupies a number of towns inside Libya near their shared border, citing “lawlessness” and a desire to prevent the conflict from spilling over into their borders. The Qaddafi regime denies the presence of Sudanese forces in Libya, calling the rumor “western propaganda.”

-A meeting of Eurozone Finance Ministers results in agreement to bailout Greece once again; the plan is to inject twelve billion Euros into the Greek economy to prevent the country from falling into bankruptcy, which threatens to throw the EU into economic depression.

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011: Boehner, Obama golf as debt negotiations continue.

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MD: President Obama and Speaker John Boehner faced down Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan during a golf match at Andrews Air Force Base as they continue to work towards a deal to resolve the looming debt-ceiling crisis. The four hour round of 18 holes appears to have resulted in little substantive agreement, according to multiple sources close to the parties involved.

With growing concern that an agreement won’t be reached, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the Senate would abort the annual July 4th recess in anticipation of the debt-ceiling deadline’s approach. Though the golf round was planned as a friendly outing, it has been reported that talks between Boehner and Obama throughout the round stagnated early on over Boehner’s insistence that a debt-ceiling raise be accompanied only by budget cuts. President Obama reportedly offered a counteroffer in which the Bush tax cuts would be extended in exchange for more modest spending cuts that largely leave Medicare and Socially Security untouched. This offer was rejected by the Speaker.

President Obama and Speaker Boehner are scheduled to formally meet until later in the week, in which time both sides are expected to tweak their proposals as the rush to reach a deal before the looming final deadline continues. The President has not ruled out taking unilateral action via executive order in order to avert a financial crisis, and many leading Congressional Republicans are pushing the House Speaker to demand President Obama publicly rule out any such move before a deal is reached.
Sunday, July 3rd, 2011:
-Mitch Daniels, in an appearance on Fox News Sunday promises a decision on a potential presidential candidacy “by the end of the summer” and confirms his intention to form a SuperPAC to fund his exploratory efforts. It is the first transparent hint about his higher office ambitions.

-Fox News’s Twitter account is hacked, with false messages reporting the assassination of President Obama being sent out. The hackers change the accounts passwords as well, making it impossible to take down the false tweets for several hours. CEO Roger Ailes complains Twitter was “of no help” during the hacking, and uses the incident as a chance to attack “the left-leaning agenda” of Silicon Valley. Donald Trump retweets a news report covering this in the aftermath of the brouhaha.
Monday, July 4th, 2011:
-Hugo Chavez returns to Venezuela after undergoing cancer treatment in Cuba; he is greeted at the airport by mass crowds of supporters organized by the ruling party as a display of the “Bolivarian Revolution’s” success and popularity.

-Donald Trump claims in an interview with Fox and Friends that Twitter is stifling the amount of retweets and likes his Tweets receive. Though he presents no evidence of this when lightly pressed by co-host Brian Kilmeade, Trump instead brags of being “the best at” social media.

Monday, July 4th, 2011: Giuliani forgoes 2012 presidential bid.

NEW YORK, NY: Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani ended speculation over whether he’d make a second presidential bid in a short video released on his personal website. In the filmed statement, Giuliani used the backdrop of the Independence Day celebrations to lambast President Obama’s “blame America first ideology” and encouraged voters to support the Republican ticket next year that will face the President. Giuliani did not endorse a candidate for the Republican nomination during the statement.

The announcement ended months of rumors swirling around the former New York Mayor, who began pondering a second presidential bid following the failed Abottabad raid and Mitt Romney’s decline in the polls. Giuliani reportedly lined up top Florida political consultant Rick Wilson as his top strategist; Wilson had previously aided Giuliani in his aborted 2000 Senate campaign. Despite corralling a small circle of reputable strategists as his inner-circle, Giuliani reportedly was reluctant to run against his longtime friend Donald Trump and had difficulty building a base of donors in the wake of his failed 2008 campaign.

Giuliani’s decision to not enter the race is a possible sign that the GOP field may soon begin to settle following a two month twister of campaign announcements. With Giuliani out of the race just weeks after Chris Christie confirmed that he would not make a presidential bid in his own right, observers like NBC’s Chuck Todd believe the field has largely been overwhelmed by the force of Trump’s personality. In a report aired by MSNBC on Andrea Mitchell’s daily program, Todd revealed to the public that Fox News’s Roger Ailes, billionaire Charles Koch, and former Bush aide Karl Rove reportedly met for a secretive summit at a casino in Las Vegas, where they attempted to reach a consensus on fielding an alternative “anti-Romney” candidate. The meeting failed to find a suitable candidate for all parties as the Republican Party becomes increasingly weary of Trump’s candidacy.
Tuesday, July 5th, 2011:
-Rupert Murdoch’s “News of the World” faces allegations of phone hacking and other unethical journalistic practices; the British parliament announces an inquiry will take place in the aftermath of the revelations.

-Responding to allegations of censorship by Twitter, Mitt Romney defends Silicon Valley. “These populist attacks on the free market are not the hallmark of a true conservative” warns the Governor, “we should be rallying around the innovation class in these trying times.”
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011:
-Moodys downgrades Portugal’s credit rating, sparking a backlash from EU Finance Ministers who fear the move will further destabilize the Eurozone. Even Britain’s Chancellor George Osborne joins in the chorus, calling Moodys rating “questionable” before the House of Commons.

-Russia announces it will begin supplying “humanitarian aid” to Tripoli; Secretary of State Clinton warns the move is “a thinly veiled effort to subvert the united western operation against the Qaddafi regime.”
Thursday, July 7th, 2011:
-NATO jets launch attacks against Libyan oil terminals in an effort to cripple production and tighten the financial noose around the regime. The attacks are condemned by environmentalists worldwide who fear the burning oil fields will cause ecological damage.

-Former Judge Roy Moore, in an appearance on the Christian Broadcasting Network, announces his intention to seek the Constitution Party’s presidential nomination in 2012. Moore will face a strong opponent in the form of former Congressman Virgil Goode, who likewise is considering a presidential run on the small right-wing party’s ballot line.
Friday, July 8th, 2011:
-Former First Lady Betty Ford dies in California at the age of 93, five years after her husband, the late former President Gerald Ford. Messages of condolences and tributes pour in from around the world, with much of the praise being directed towards her work in relation to alcoholism and addiction.

-A million people take to the streets in Cairo to protest the lack of progress since the downfall of the Mubarak regime. The military stands nervously by, though fears of violence largely fade as the day continues without incident.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Good TL, Alt-Lite Sanchez.  Just one nitpick: 161 people died in the Joplin tornado, not 116, unless that was a butterfly.

Waiting for more...

Your wish is my command!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Friday, July 8th, 2011: Unemployment numbers rekindle recession fears.

WASHINGTON, DC: Statistic released by the Department of Labor show the American economy added only a meager 18,000 new jobs, significantly lower than anticipated. The unemployment rate, estimated to be at 14.1 million people, also went up. The news sent the administration into a tailspin as Republican leaders erupted with fury. “This is a sign that new leadership is necessary for real results” declared GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who further tested the President by questioning the competence of the President, a statement that Senator Majority leader Harry Reid (D-NY) predictably derided as “shameful” at an afternoon press briefing, where Congressional Democrats blamed the weak statistics on Republicans whom they claim are “playing games with our citizen’s livelihoods.” President Obama did not deny his disappointment in the numbers, but doubled down on Congressional Democrats prior statements and implored Republican leaders to “do what is right by the American people.”

The weak numbers accompanied the release of the latest Gallup presidential approval rating numbers, which show the President at an all-time low with an approval rating of just 32%. The news immediately dominated the Republican candidate’s remarks at campaign events across the country; Mitt Romney told voters in Michigan that “the time for America to renew itself is now” while Governor Mitch Daniels encouraged Speaker Boehner to hold a hardline against the President. Donald Trump, however, was the most brutal in his attacks on the President, lambasting Obama as “a confused squawking around the barn” before making squawking sounds and mimicking a chicken with his arms, drawing uproarious laughter from his audience. Trump went on to say that “everyone hates Obama”, continuing “he lost Bin Laden, he’s killing all the jobs, he’s destroyed our healthcare system, and he going to destroy our country if we don’t stop him soon.”

President Obama is scheduled to meet with Speaker Boehner in the coming days as talks to resolve the albatross of the debt-ceiling crisis weighs down on the American economy. Hoping a deal could restore confidence for the market, the eyes of Washington have now turned to Speaker Boehner, who must balance the demands of his increasingly conservative caucus with the few concessions that the Obama administration is willing to offer.

Saturday, July 9th, 2011: South Sudan achieves independence.

JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN: The nation of South Sudan formally succeeded from Sudan to become the worlds newest independent nation. The new African nation, which voted 98% in favor of secession, peacefully obtained independence following the referendum in a bloodless transfer of power. The independence vote capped off a decades long struggle that was often violent and resulted in the deaths of over two million people from war and famine. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the former Vice President of Sudan, was sworn in as South Sudan’s first President. Known for his iconic black Stetson that he frequently wears (a gift from former President George W. Bush), Mayardit is hoping to lead the newly independent state into an era of peace and development after decades of poverty and conflict.

Independence celebrations in the capitol of Juba attracted dignitaries from around the world; former Secretary of State Collin Powell represented the United States, William, Duke of Cambridge represented the United Kingdom, and a large delegation consisting of most current African heads of state joined the new government’s top officials at a ceremony that formally transferred power from Sudan to South Sudan.

Despite the optimism of the President, many fear that South Sudan risks becoming a failed state. Decades of ethnic and political strife, a severely neglected and outdated infrastructure system, and endemic disease and hunger have plagued the nation, and the presence of outside actors such as Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (which is active mainly in Uganda but has operated in South Sudan on and off) have further destabilized the situation as South Sudan looks towards its future.
Sunday, July 10th, 2011: In an interview with Meet the Press, Ralph Nader affirms that he will not run for President in 2012 and will instead focus his efforts on finding a suitable progressive primary challenger to President Obama.
Monday, July 11th, 2011:
-Protesters in support of the Assad regime attempt to push their way into the US Embassy in Damascus; they are held at bay by American security personnel, preventing a full blown crisis from breaking out. The State Department accuses the Baathist regime in Damascus of organizing the event in order to get back at the US for imposing sanctions.

-Ten members of the Royal Family, including the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, are believed to be among the more prominent victims of the News of the World phone hacking scandal. Prime Minister Cameron confirms that an inquiry will be launched in the coming weeks into the phone hackings.

-Pakistan jails a doctor who helped the CIA target the Abbottabad compound; his arrest deprives the CIA of a valued source in the Pakistani government who had knowledge of the unnamed “high-value target’s” presence in the city.
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011:
-Comedian and actress Roseanne Barr addresses Occupy New York, where she makes headlines for calling for the beheading of bankers and earns the ire of the crow (who boo her profusely) after she praises Donald Trump as “a man of the people.”

-Congressman Ron Paul announces he will not seek reelection to the House of Representatives in order to focus on his presidential campaign. Paul endorses Debra Medina, a libertarian activist and close political acolyte, as his successor to serve as the representative for Texas’s 22nd district.

Tuesday, July 12th, 2011: EU, Ireland reach bailout deal.

DUBLIN, IRELAND: The Irish government, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Union reached an agreement in which the interest payments on Ireland’s recent emergency bailout would be reduced in order to relieve pressure on the Irish economy. With global markets stalling, the deal will save Ireland nearly £700 million a year, which the government intends to invest in creating jobs. The same offers may also be extended to the beleaguered nations of Greece and Portugal, who are also undergoing their own debt crises. 

Fears of the Greek economy collapsing in reaction to a potential default on their national debt has sent many of Europe’s top economist into preparation for what many predict could be an unprecedented global economic downturn. The Irish government’s ability to spend a further €700 million allows the cash to be injected into a severely stagnated economy that faces one of the greater threats resulting from the aftershocks of the feared Greek default, which may be the only recourse to starve off a potentially destructive chain reaction.

The refinancing of Ireland’s debt repayments has been the first major success of the coalition government led by Prime Minister Edna Kelly, which resulted following the fall of former Prime Minister Brian Cowen’s government earlier this year. The European debt crises have claimed the scalps of many of Europe’s leading political figures, and has left Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in political peril. Jose Barroso, the European Commissioner, is hoping that the Irish bailout will serve as a model for other EU members facing debt-crises.
Wednesday, July 13th, 2011:
-President Obama voices support for a proposal that would allow Russia to mediate a peaceful solution to the civil war in Libya; the Qaddafi regime declines to participate in the talks, and instead vows to “vanquish” the rebels, whom Qaddafi describes in a new audio broadcast as “imperialist lackeys.”

-Multiple explosions across Mumbai kill 23 people and injure over a hundred; the Indian Mujahedeen is suspected as the perpetrators. The Al Qaida aligned group has been believed to be responsible for a string of attacks in and around Mumbai over the years. 

-Moodys threatens to review the United States AAA credit rating, sparking panic on Wall Street as fears of a downgrade become increasingly real. Emotions in Washington run high, with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke warning of “catastrophic consequences” if the United States defaults on its debt. Congressman Eric Cantor (R-VA), a top negotiator for the Republicans, reportedly tells President Barack Obama that revenue increases simply are not going to happen, instead urging him to accept a short-term deal instead of a budget that would carry through to the presidential election in November 2012. Obama storms out of the room saying “enough is enough.” The future of the negotiations looks to be in doubt.
Thursday, July 14th, 2011:
-Mikhail Margelov, the Russian emissary to Libya, warns that Qaddafi has a suicidal plan to destroy all of Tripoli should the rebels attempt to take the city. The warning sparks alarm, and highlights concerns that the regime may use chemical or even biological warfare in order to cling to power.

-Rupert Murdoch and a number of NewsCorp executives agree to appear before the British Parliament as an inquiry into the News of the World hacking scandal commences.

-Debt ceiling negotiations continue to stall as Moodys puts the United States on downgrade watch; President Obama warns that the United States has 24 to 36 hours to resolve the crisis or face a credit downgrade that could send shockwaves through the American and global economies.
Friday, July 15th, 2011: At the UN Headquarters in New York, Secretary of State Clinton announces the United States will recognize the National Transition Council (NTC) as the legitimate government of Libya, having already severed all remaining ties to the Qaddafi regime months before.

Friday, July 15th, 2011: Trump drops F-bomb in Arizona speech!

FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ: The audience at Donald Trump’s rally in a suburb of Phoenix hooped, hollered, and roared with laughter after Donald Trump tore into a profane tirade that left news anchors apologizing to viewers and jaws dropped across the beltway. “These politicians fINKsing suck!” boomed Trump to the delight of his audience, adding that “they don’t know shinks!” Trump would spare his Republican rivals the profanity, but not the genuine rage. “Mitt Romney’s running around like a chicken with its head cut off” declared Trump, before turning on potential rival Mitch Daniels, who “is too dull on the outside to be as smart as they say he is on the inside” according to Trump. Promising to “mop this thing up” and “sweep out the idiots in the political class,” Trump’s campaign rallies are attracting the largest crowds by far of any of the candidates.

Trump’s harsh words immediately drew fire; Mitt Romney told an audience in Iowa that the Republican Party is the “party of families and faith” and that Donald Trump has “no place in any respectable political party.” Michelle Bachmann joked with an audience in South Carolina that she intends to bring a bar of soap to the next debate, while Ron Paul told a young supporter while mingling with volunteers at an office opening that Trump “isn’t a particularly pleasant person” who “is part of the system, not the enemy of it.” President Obama also had sharp words for Trump, whom he claimed was “degenerating the national discourse.” Obama called on the Republican National Committee to formally rebuke Trump’s candidacy.

Characteristically, Trump responded to the criticism on Twitter, where he once again blasted his rivals. Mitt Romney is “old news” tweeted Trump, “nobody cares what he thinks.” Trump, who later went after the former Massachusetts Governor again in a more personal attacking, calling him “out of touch, pompous, and weird.” Trump had no mercy for Congresswoman Bachmann, whom he tweeted was “batty” and Congressman Paul, who he claimed was “grumpy, ancient, and possibly senile.” The Trump tweets have renewed criticism of the New York businessman’s tendency to speak out vocally on the social media platform, where he often makes personal attacks directed at critics.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Saturday, July 16th, 2011:
-Ousted Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak suffers a stroke while in detention, and falls into a comatose state. This comes weeks after his wife Suzanne suffered a heart attack upon being arrested.

-Potential Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry makes a swing through South Carolina, ostensibly to campaign for Congressman Tim Scott’s reelection. Most analysts suspect the trip is really a test of his strength in the Palmetto State.
Sunday, July 17th, 2011: In his first major interview since the Abbottabad raid, Vice President Joe Biden embarrasses the administration while on Meet the Press when he insists that he opposed the plan. “I thought the target was best left alone, in a false sense of security” claims the Vice President, “and that risking that fallacy proved to be reckless.” Biden is pressed for the name of the target, but Biden insists the information is classified.
Monday, July 18th, 2011: The Senate votes 94-0 to confirm General David Petraeus as Director of the CIA, replacing Leon Panetta, who had initially been nominated to head the Defense Department but was forced to withdraw his nomination after Abbottabad raid. Hearings for Tom Donilon are set to begin the following day.
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011: Hearings for Tom Donilon’s nomination to serve as Secretary of Defense begin before the Senate Armed Services Committee; the day begins with a heated exchange between the Ranking Member, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and the nominee.

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011: Rupert Murdoch attacked during hacking hearings.

LONDON, UK: Media mogul Rupert Murdoch was attacked by a pie throwing assailant during an appearance before a parliamentary inquiry into the News of the World hacking scandal. During the hearing, a yet to be identified audience member leaped from behind Murdoch to thrust a Key Lime Pie into his face when Murdoch’s wife Wendi Deng jumped in his path in an attempt to stop him. The man stumbled forward and shoved the pie into Murdoch’s face when he turned around to see the source of the commotion behind him. The attacker was taken into custody and the meeting was briefly adjourned so Murdoch could clean himself.

Murdoch, owner of the media empire News Corporation, has been facing allegations that many of his enterprises have engaged in illegal behavior in order to find stories, including hacking the phones of members of the British Royal family among others. Murdoch has also faced criticism in the United States for unrelated scandals, including claims that Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign received more favorable coverage on the orders of Fox’s CEO Roger Ailes, and that Murdoch’s other American interests have engaged in phone hacking as well.

The growing News of the World phone hacking scandal has threatened Murdoch’s media empire, and has dragged down several of his top aides and high ranking corporate figures. Rebekah Brooks, the CEO of News International, a subsidiary of News Corp, was the latest casualty of the scandal, having resigned four days ago. There is growing pressure in the United States for Congress to consider holding hearings as well as the scandal continues to expand beyond Britain.

Thursday, July 21st, 2011: Obama announces Afghan drawdown.

WASHINGTON, DC: President Obama announced during a press conference at the Pentagon that the United States will withdraw 33,000 American troops from Afghanistan by the summer of 2012. The plan will result in the removal of just over 10,000 soldiers by the end of 2011, with the remainder being removed by this time next year. The President’s announcement marks the first major drawdown of US forces in Afghanistan since the start of the war almost a decade ago.

The drawdown of American forces in Afghanistan is a process that is expected to take several years, and faces the prospect of being postponed or delayed at any given time due to the remaining presence of Taliban insurgents. Despite Afghanistan stabilizing to a degree in recent years, Kandahar province remains a hotbed of Taliban activity, and the background presence of a still living, still vocal Osama Bin Laden continues to be a source of inspiration for extremists and militants active in the region. The first American troops, numbering just over 600 American soldiers stationed primarily in the capital city of Kabul, will leave Afghanistan in early August.

President Obama’s announcement left the presidential contenders divided, with former Ambassador Jon Huntsman, Congressman Ron Paul, and to a more muted extent, Donald Trump, all voiced support for President Obama’s announcement while Ambassador John Bolton, former Governor Mike Huckabee, and former Governor Romney all condemned the decision. A leading neoconservative, John Bolton called the move “an act of submission to the forces of Islamofascism” and warned that the Taliban could regain control of large swathes of Afghanistan if America does not retain a long term presence.

Friday, July 22nd, 2011: Norway rocked by assassination, terrorism.

OSLO, NORWAY: The Prime Minister of Norway is among the dead after a gunman killed scores of young teenagers at a youth retreat only hours after detonating a car bomb outside the Prime Minister’s office in the capital of Oslo. Overall, 81 people were killed in the attacks, which were perpetrated by a single attacker identified as Anders Brevick, a known neo-Nazi radical. The carnage was condemned by leaders around the world as stunned Norwegians reacted with anger and shock. Norway’s new Prime Minister Jonas Store, is calling for calm as the government attempts to restore stability following the attack.

The attacks began when Brevick detonated a car bomb outside the office building housing the workspace of the Prime Minister and his staff. Jen Stoltenberg, the Prime Minister, who ironically was leaving for the Utoya island youth camp, was with staff entering a SUV that would drive them to the remote retreat when the explosion went off, shattering windows and spilling dusty rubble throughout the streets around blast zone. Stoltenberg and eight other staffers and security officials were killed immediately in the blast.

In the wake of the attack, the response of authorities were thrown into chaos as King Harald V asked the Foreign Minister Jonas Store to form a new government. All the while, Brevick traveled to the Utoya youth retreat, a political camp for young members of the ruling Labor Party. As unsuspecting campers watched the news out of Oslo in harbor, Brevick managed to gain entry into the compound and consequently went on an hour long rampage before reportedly being killed by a Chechen exchange student armed only with a rock. The unidentified student was accustomed to the violence in his native region, according to sources. The death count on Utoya island stands at 71, not including the ten killed in the Oslo bombing.

Across the world, leaders and foreign ministers reacted in horror. President Obama praised the assassinated Norwegian Prime Minister as “a man of great talent” and described the murders as an act of “savage brutality.” Secretary of State Clinton confirmed that she would lead an official American delegation to the late Prime Minister Stoltenberg’s state funeral and a memorial service for the 71 young persons slaughtered by Brevick in Utoya in the coming weeks. As Norway prepares for the aftershocks of the attacks, Norwegian and EU officials have begun an investigation as to how the attacker managed to obtain the weapons and explosives used in the attacks.
Saturday, July 23rd, 2011: Singer Amy Winehouse dies at the age of 27 following a drug overdose in London. Her death sends fans across the globe into mourning.

Sunday, July 24th, 2011: Geithner, Obama warn debt ceiling crisis is urgent.

WASHINGTON, DC: President Obama told Chris Wallace during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” that he “couldn’t guarantee” recipients of Social Security would receive their monthly checks in the event of the debt-ceiling crisis failing to be resolved. The comments by the beleaguered President have ignited a chorus of criticism from Republican leaders, who condemned the remark as “inflammatory” and accused him of “fear mongering” during a time of crisis, among other things. President Obama denied these claims, dismissing the Republican leaders in Congress as “big talkers” who “are holding our economy hostage” during a later afternoon interview taped for NPR.

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner headlined the regularly scheduled broadcast of NBC’s “Meet the Press” as a sense of panic begins to grow among Washington’s political elites. With the debt-ceiling deadline approaching and no deal in sight between the President and Republican leaders in Congress, fears of a credit-downgrade and the accompanying predicted market crash have many leading Democrats calling for the President to take unilateral action to stop the crisis. Aides to the President have denied that the administration is considering such measures.

Several top Republicans have voiced their disgust with the administration’s consideration of taking more drastic measures to starve off a credit-downgrade, with Congressman Tom Price (R-GA), one of the leading Republican members of the House Budget Committee, castigated President Obama on a follow up appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” delivering a speech in which he declared that “talk is cheap” but “in Washington, principles are cheaper.” Some, including Politico’s Manu Raju, noted that the speech was intended to be a private message to the President that the Republican caucus in the House is refusing to budge on their firm opposition to tax increases.
Monday, July 25th, 2011: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) formally unveils the Democratic proposal for the resolution of the debt-ceiling crisis; the plan, which Reid promises will cut $2.7 trillion in debt while raising the debt ceiling through next year, wins immediate praise from many of Reid’s Democratic colleagues. However, it fails to impress Republicans in the lower chamber, with Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) warning that the legislation is “filled with shady budget gimmicks.” The latest budget stalemate comes at a time when the Treasury Secretary is calling for the resolution of the crisis, describing the situation which he warns has grown “urgent.” President Obama is expected to make a primetime address to the nation from the White House tomorrow night.
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011: In an official address from the Oval Office aired on prime time television, the President warned that “this is no time for games” as the debt-ceiling crisis worsens. Addressing last year’s Tea Party wave in the midterm elections, President Obama conceded that while “Americans voted for a divided government” before chiding House Republicans over the Congressional stalemate, “not a dysfunctional government” in his speech.
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011: A report by the Congressional Budget Office shows that Speaker Boehner’s plan falls far short of its stated goal of reducing the deficit. According to the CBO report, the Boehner plan would neither decrease the deficit nor spending by significant margins, sending the Tea Party caucus into an uproar. With Boehner losing control of his caucus in the last critical week of the debt ceiling crisis, stocks again plummeted as fears that the United States will go over the debt ceiling continue to grow. A meeting of the Republican House Caucus devolves into chaos when the Speaker warns reluctant Freedom Caucus members to “get their ass in line.”
Thursday, July 28th, 2011: Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has harsh words for President Obama, decrying the administration’s pursuit of “compromise over conviction.” In an interview with MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, Senator Sanders stated “this President is more interested in avoiding a fight than fighting the fight” and that “progressives in the Democratic Party will grow disillusioned and we’ll have President Romney or Trump as a result if we’re not careful.” When asked if he was considering entering the presidential race, Sanders conceded that “we’ve been asked that a lot lately” and noted that “there is real grassroots enthusiasm for a progressive alternative” before asserting his belief that he is “unlikely to be that alternative.”
Friday, July 29th, 2011: After weeks of debate and conflict, the House GOP has passed a proposal floated by John Boehner which raises the debt ceiling temporarily in exchange for a provision calling for the passage of a balanced budget amendment before the debt ceiling can be raised again. The bill passed 220-215, with 22 Republicans (including presidential candidates Michelle Bachmann and Ron Paul) casting votes against the plan. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces the unlikely prospect of gaining the 60 votes necessary to pass. Almost immediately, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) have voiced their opposition to the Boehner plan, while Senate Democrats, who control the chamber, have made it clear they’ll oppose the bill. As a result, President Obama may be forced to negotiate with Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell in order to pass a final deal. The President will spend the weekend golfing with Speaker Boehner and Senate Majority Reid in order to hammer out the final arrangements for a deal.