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

[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.

[Cold War Liberal]

"Milquetoast Mitt" is officially my favorite Trump insult

Obama 2012!

[Continential]

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Trump’s leading

[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.

[Lord Byron]

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...

[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.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Saturday, July 30th, 2011: Gilmore enters GOP fray.

RICHMOND, VA: Former Governor Jim Gilmore has announced he’ll seek the Republican nomination in 2012, four years after his first ill-fated presidential run. The Governor made the announcement in a video released on his website, in which he lambasted President Obama’s “failed experiment with socialism” and encouraged Republicans to unite “around a problem solver with proven results.” Gilmore ranks at the bottom of the polls due to low fundraising and name recognition.

The Governor, who served from 1997 until 2001, also served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee and was the Republican nominee for Senate in Virginia in 2008, where Mark Warner defeated him in a landslide. Gilmore’s tenure as Governor – which coincided with the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon – give Gilmore credible experience that could make him stand out in an increasingly crowded field, though most observers view the prospects of Gilmore gaining traction as unlikely.

Monday, August 1st, 2011: Obama: America is heading towards default.

WASHINGTON, DC: With the Senate likely to reject the Boehner compromise, President Obama took to a White House podium to issue a stern warning: America is going to default. The announcement sent stocks tumbling and investors into panic as the deadline for a final debt ceiling agreement looms in less than twelve hours. The increasing concern over a default on America’s debt could launch another recession, according to most analysts.

The President is rumored to be considering taking “extraordinary actions” according to one top White House aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Another option for the President is the use of executive action to raise the debt ceiling, which could starve off future financial collapse in the short term but is unlikely to hold water before the Supreme Court. The White House has remained silent on whether or not President Obama will indeed act as rumors continue to circulate around a panicked Washington.

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011: America defaults; Obama acts.

WASHINGTON, DC: Obama has signed an executive order despite concerns of a Supreme Court injunction that declares the debt ceiling unconstitutional (and thus effectively ignoring it), announcing the decision in a speech from the Oval Office in which he lamented the lack of bipartisan cooperation on Washington and warned of a recession. The President signed another executive order, impounding billions of dollars for a period of 45 days (the maximum under federal law) to fund next month’s social security payment, thus relieving the fears of millions of seniors in the short term. “I’ve got a pen and a phone” declared Obama, “and I’ll use them,” words that have angered Republicans.

The reaction has led to numerous outcries from Republicans; Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is considering introducing articles of impeachment, claiming President Obama’s actions “disregard the constitution” while Donald Trump simply tweeted “worst President ever.” Mitt Romney also echoed Trump’s sentiments, claiming that President Obama is “the most incompetent President on record,” while Newt Gingrich was more blunt, warning that “America is going to hell” under President Obama’s leadership.

Standards & Poors have confirmed that the United States credit rating has been downgraded from AAA to AA+, citing Congressional gridlock as a threat to America’s economic recovery and ability to meet its obligations. The default is unprecedented in American history, and has many on Wall Street concerned of a potential recession. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has called for calm, stating that “there is still a limited amount of time left” to “stabilize the situation before it’s too late.”

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011: Eurozone shaken by American downgrade.

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM: The American credit downgrade has sparked fresh concern in Europe that the debt ceiling may have a contagious effect on Europe. According to a Reuters report, France and Britain stand the most risk of facing a credit review, which could have wide-ranging effects on the economic stability of the Eurozone as a whole. The French government in particular faces a debt crisis of it’s own as the government has been locked in a parliamentary fight to restrict future deficits.

The rising cost of preventing France from defaulting on its debt highlights the spreading may result in a credit downgrade at a time when many American investors are jumping ship and purchasing European bonds. “The situation is very fragile” warned one economist, while Paul Krugman prophesized that “the rise of the radical right in Europe” could result in “austerity agendas” that he predicts will “evaporate the lubricants keeping the whole machine going.” Krugman went on to call the growing crisis “the Republican recession.”

EU leaders are working overtime tonight to plan a possible multinational summit later this month (likely to be held in Germany) to discuss further cooperation as the recession threatens to fracture the fragile European Union. Meanwhile on Wall Street, stocks continued to slide for the second day in a row following the American credit downgrade and President Obama’s use of executive action to stop the debt ceiling crisis at the last minute.
Friday, August 5th, 2011: According to a senior staffer who spoke to the press on the grounds of anonymity, Michelle Bachmann has been suffering from debilitating migraines that have resulted in the cancelation of several campaign events. Bachmann counters the report, claiming that the migraines haven’t affected her ability to serve in Congress and are controlled by prescription medication.
Saturday, August 6th, 2011: The Taliban claims credit for the shoot down of a military helicopter just west of Kabul, which resulted in the deaths of several Navy SEALS associated with Seal Team Six. At least three of those killed had been part of the failed Abbottabad raid, according to one Pentagon source. The SEALs were en-route towards the believed location of a well-known local Taliban warlord wanted by the Afghan government. Controversy is begins to swirl around the mysterious circumstances that surround the incident.
Monday, August 8th, 2011: The Senate confirms Tom Donnilon as Secretary of Defense by a vote of 93-7; among the notable dissenters are Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkely (D-OR), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Sarah.

Monday, August 8th, 2011:

Waterloo, IA.

When Sarah Palin stepped on stage to join Trump as the “mystery guest,” the crowd roared louder than ever before – it even sent a chill of excitement down Donald Trump’s spine – in delight. Sarah Palin, who has long been floated as a potential presidential contender, was here to endorse Mr. Trump. It was the confluence of two of American conservatism’s greatest rock stars. “Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!” the crowd chanted, the applause not close to dying down. Palin remembered how utterly nerve-racking such events could be from her 2008 campaign for the Vice Presidency. So, to settle her nerves, she drank a beer…then another…and then another, before boarding the motorcade that took her to the civic center. Palin was no alcoholic, but in situations like this, she just couldn’t help herself. The fact that she was borderline drunk upon arriving at the rally made several Trump aides panic, but the Big Man himself didn’t care, and insisted that Sarah go onstage. “She’s fun” he assured campaign manager David Bossie, “she’ll have a good time, she loves people.”

“Thank you so much, we love Iowa!” declared Palin, “we’ve just been here to thaw out!” “It’s great to be here” she continued, “with all you farmers and linemen and small business owners and rock ‘n rollers and holly rollers, I have a question! – are you ready to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” The crowd cheered loudly. “Are you ready for a President who will fight for you? Are you ready for a President who will go out there AND KICK OBAMA’S ASS?”

The crowd leaped to their feet. Old men stomped the floor. The Proud Boys present, as these rabidly pro-Trump fraternity brothers became known, hooped and hollered. Women and children alike cheered. Trump promised a surprise, and he sure delivered on it. Palin continued her speech, repeatedly energizing the crowd with old Tea Party maxims (“we the people,” “taxed enough already!, “Drain the Swamp” among others) in a speech that was carried by all of the major networks. Palin’s use of profanity was dwarfed by Trump’s use of the F-bomb recently, but still turned heads. For the first time, many of Trump’s opponents in the GOP race realized that something serious was happening. Trump was more than just the latest “flavor of the month.” No, Trump was here to stay.

[America Needs R'hllor]

What we expect: Trump 2012.
What's really coming: Gilmore 2012.

[Lord Byron]

All of the Republican candidates are going "Oh, Crap" at Sarah Palin's appearance...

God, I hope Trump doesn't win in 2012; OTOH, you've captured his tweets perfectly, IMO...

[OSR stands with Israel]

What we expect: Trump 2012.
What's really coming: Gilmore 2012.

Knowing the poster it may be Ron Paul 2012

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Pataki.

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011:

Exeter, NH.

Thank you. Thank you all for being here. As I look around this room I see so many friends from Peekskill and New York, from Texas and Illinois, and of course from here in New Hampshire. Many of you helped me get elected Governor of New York three times. And you are here again. Thank you for your loyalty!

Y tambien gracias a todos mis amigos que estan con nosotros hoy.

We are here in Exeter, NH, birthplace of the Republican Party.

Abraham Lincoln's party, who saved the Union and brought the promise of freedom to all Americans. Teddy Roosevelt's party, who fought for the Square Deal, to make sure the rich and powerful couldn't limit the freedom of working Americans. And Ronald Reagan's party, who restored Americans' belief in ourselves and in the transcendent value of freedom; the freedom that has given us the greatest country the world has ever known; the freedom a man named Amos Tuck, declared as the foundation of that party right here in Exeter, NH.

The same freedom that I fear is at risk today from an ever more powerful, ever more intrusive government in Washington.

It is to preserve and protect that freedom for us that I stand here today. It is to preserve and protect that freedom for future generations that I rise. It is to preserve and protect that freedom that I am announcing I am a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

When people think of New York they generally think of New York City, and I understand that. But my upbringing was quite different. I grew up on a small farm in a small town in the Hudson Valley called Peekskill NY. My four grandparents were all immigrants who went through Ellis Island.

Peekskill's wealth was not in its money but in its people; black and white, Christian and Jew, both rural and urban at the same time. We weren't wealthy, we weren't well-connected, we weren't well-known. And yet every one of us growing up in that small town believed in the American dream, believed in hard work, and believed in ourselves. We believed, no we really KNEW that if we dreamed something, we could do it. If we worked hard, studied hard, had faith, family and friends encouraging us, nothing was beyond our reach. We believed in the American Dream, and it was real.

My father was a mailman. When he went to first grade he couldn't speak one word of English. No one ignored him…or lowered their expectations. Instead they helped him learn the skills he needed to succeed. My mother had to turn down a scholarship to Cornell to work as a waitress. She was the only one in her family with a job during the darkest days of the Great Depression. By the way, she is 95 and doing great, and watching us now live on CSPAN. Thank you mom!

They never saw themselves as victims, they were Americans. And though they might not have had every opportunity for themselves, they knew their children could accomplish anything. My brother Lou and I worked on our farm as kids. When I was in college during Christmas and summer vacations, I worked at the Fleischmann's Factory with my cousin Bobby, and in the evening and weekends, we'd work on the farm with our other cousins.

For my Dad, working two jobs was the norm. He would leave at 5 in the morning, deliver mail during the day, work on the farm in the evening until dark, and then if the alarm rang in the middle of the night, respond to a fire as Captain of the volunteer firefighters.

It wasn't always easy, but today my brother is an astrophysicist and I am a candidate for the highest office in our country. This is the promise of unlimited opportunity America held for my family and me. It is that promise of unlimited opportunity, that belief in America, which I want to restore for every family and every child living in America today.

Today, too many Americans feel the best days of our Country are behind us, that our children won't have the opportunities we did. Government has grown too big, too powerful, too expensive, and too intrusive. Washington politicians and bureaucrats believe they know better than us, and can tell us how to run our lives, from what health care each of us can have, to trying to dictate what every child in every school must learn.

A young mother seeking to open a small business is inundated with oppressive paperwork and regulations and gives up. A small manufacturer seeking to build the next plant and create American jobs is faced with excessive taxes and forced to build the factory overseas. Too many Americans feel the path of opportunity is closed to them.

We must make sure that it is not.

The problems we face are real. But I've never been one to dwell on problems. I'm a solutions guy. When you grow up on a farm and have a problem, you don't ask the government to solve it, you just figure out what needs to be done, and go do it. That's the American way. If I have the honor to lead this country, let me tell you some of the things I'd do right away to get oppressive government off the backs of Americans.

Today, there is one former member of Congress lobbying for every current member and the first thing I would do is ban members of Congress from ever lobbying. If you serve one day, you are banned, go home.

I'd repeal oppressive laws like Obamacare and stop proposals like Common Core. I'd eliminate excessive taxes that crush small business. I'd throw out an incomprehensible tax code written by lawyers at the direction of lobbyists in the interests of the powerful and replace it with simpler, lower rates that are fair to us all. I'd lower taxes on manufacturers to the lowest in the developed world so that factories and jobs could spring up here. And I'd shrink the size of the federal work force, starting with bureaucrats overseeing Obamacare, and fire every corrupt IRS employee abusing government power to discriminate on the basis of politics or religion.

And let's let every Washington politician know: from now on, you will live under the same rules and laws we do, no exemptions for politicians from laws they impose on us, no special rules for the powerful. Our Justice Department will treat all fairly, and uphold the Constitution. No one will be above the law.
Let's deliver a clear message to the politicians in Washington: you are our servants, not our masters.
We do this and small businesses will thrive. We will make things and build things here in America again. We will create and innovate. Jobs will flourish and peoples' faith in America's future will soar. Some say this can't be done. That the course of history leads inexorably towards bigger, more expensive, more powerful government. Don't you believe that for a second! They told me that when I ran for Governor of New York: too many people were dependent on government. That the bureaucrats and powerful interests were too strong. That the people couldn't regain their confidence in NY's future. In a sense they were right: THEY couldn't do it. But I knew that I could. And we did.

In twelve years New York went from a state with the highest tax burden, the lowest credit rating, and billions of dollars in deficits, to a state with 143 billion in lower taxes, billions in surplus, and its highest credit rating in generations. All it took was for me to get government out of the people's way.
It seems like liberals have so much compassion for the poor that they keep creating more of them. When I took office, we had every poverty program Government could think of, yet one in eleven of every New Yorker was on welfare. Not Social Security or Disability. One in eleven of every man, woman and child in the state of New York, from the tip of Long Island to the shores of Lake Erie, was on welfare.

The American Dream did not seem real to them. But after twelve years of my conservative policies, we replaced dependency with opportunity, resignation with hope, mere existence with dreams, and a welfare check with a pay check. When I left office over one million fewer people were on welfare than when I began.

I was the Governor of New York on September 11th; it was a horrible time for us, and I'm sure for all of you as well. The personal loss was devastating. It still is. I saw up close the horrible consequences of too many believing that because radical Islam was thousands of miles away across an ocean, that we were safe in America. Sadly, it wasn't true then, and it's not true now.

The most important thing Government does is provide for the security and safety of its citizens. Sadly, Washington is not doing that. I will not forget the lesson of Sept. 11th. I fear too many in Washington already have. To protect us, first we must secure the border.

Yes, I am the proud product of immigrants. But we must know that everyone coming to America is coming here legally, and that everyone coming here is coming not to harm us, but to be a part of a better America. And, in the face of an increasingly dangerous world this is not the time to weaken America’s military, it’s time to strengthen our military. Not so that we can use it, but so that we don't HAVE to use it. A strong America is a safe America as we move into what can be another American century.

Let the next decade be the decade when the American worker and innovators, the best workforce in the world, accomplish things we can only dream of. Let the next decade be the decade when Americans finally cure cancer and end for all time the scourge of Alzheimer's. Let the next decade be the decade when American energy powers the world with our own clean, unlimited resources. Let the next decade be the decade when Americans travel from city to city in trains faster than planes, in cars that drive themselves, and over paths we have yet to imagine. Let the next decade be the decade where Americans can have boundless economic growth while enhancing and improving, our natural environment. Let the next decade be the decade where America proves to the world”: you ain't seen nothing yet. Stand with us, let's go forward together and I guarantee you the 21st Century is going to be America's greatest century!! Thank you, God Bless you and God bless America.

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011: Candidates head to Iowa as Ames Straw Poll approaches.

AMES, IOWA: The Republican field has taken to the Iowa State Fair ahead of the critical Ames Straw Poll, where most of the candidates have been out working the crowds. Republican heavyweight Donald Trump had the most dramatic effort to woo voters, using his personal helicopter to take children on rides, while Michelle Bachmann enjoyed a corn dog with voters and Governor Romney personally helped grill chicken for voters. The candidates also spoke individually, with Trump denouncing President Obama as “a complete idiot” who “is getting people killed.” Trump and Ron Paul drew the largest crowds for their speeches, whereas frontrunners Romney and Huckabee both drew only middling audiences.

The straw poll, scheduled for Sunday, is an early test for Republican candidates. Those who fail to perform strongly are often weeded out, narrowing the field ahead of the critical Iowa caucuses. On the ground, the overwhelming buzz among fair-goers surrounds Donald Trump and Mike Huckabee, who are attempting to woo evangelical and Tea Party voters to their banners. Meanwhile, those alarmed by the rapid conservative drift of the party have expressed their support for Governor Romney and Mayor Giuliani; other candidates, like Ron Paul, have formed their own niche elements of the base whereas Speaker Gingrich, Governor Pawlenty, and Michelle Bachmann struggle to break out of the middle of the pack.

Ames could be make or break for the candidacies of Thad McCotter, Tim Pawlenty, Rick Santorum, and Michelle Bachmann, all of whom are relying on an Iowa launch for their campaigns.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Perry.

Thursday, August 11th, 2011:

Charleston, SC.

Howdy. Thank you, Erick Erickson for that great introduction. It is great to be at RedState. And I’ll tell you what, it’s even better to be governor of the largest red state in America.

It’s sure good to be back in the Palmetto State, in South Carolina. I enjoy coming to places where people elect folks like Nikki Haley, true conservatives. And also where they love the greatest fighting force on the face of the earth…the United States Military. And I want to take a moment and ask you to just take a silence, think about those young Navy SEALs and the other special operators who gave it all in the service of their country. Just take a moment to say Thank you, Lord, that we have those kind of selfless, sacrificial men and women. Their sacrifice was immeasurable, their dedication profound, and we will never, ever forget them.

I stand before you today as the governor of Texas. But I also stand before you the son of two tenant farmers, Ray Perry, who came home after 35 bombing missions over Europe to work his little corner of land out there, and Amelia who made sure my sister Milla and I had everything that we needed, including hand-sewing my clothes until I went off to college. I am also the product of a place called Paint Creek. Doesn’t have a zip code. It’s too small to be called a town along the rolling plains of Texas. We grew dryland cotton and wheat, and when I wasn’t farming or attending Paint Creek Rural School, I was generally over at Troop 48 working on my Eagle Scout award.

Around the age of 8, I was blessed – didn’t realize it, but I was blessed to meet my future wife, Anita Thigpen, at a piano recital. We had our first date eight years later. And she finally agreed to marry me 16 years after that. Nobody says I am not persistent. There is no greater way to live life than with someone you love, and my first love is with us today, my lovely wife Anita. We’re also blessed to have two incredible children, Griffin and Sydney, and they are also with us today, and our wonderful daughter-in-law Meredith. I’d just like to introduce those two. Thank you.

What I learned growing up on the farm was a way of life that was centered on hard work, and on faith and on thrift. Those values have stuck with me my whole life. But it wasn’t until I graduated from Texas A&M University and joined the United States Air Force, flying C-130’s all around the globe, that I truly appreciated the blessings of freedom.

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan, I realized that the United States of America really is the last great hope of mankind. What I saw was systems of government that elevated rulers at the expense of the people. Socialist systems cloaked maybe in good intentions but were delivering misery and stagnation. And I learned that not everyone values life like we do in America, or the rights that are endowed to every human being by a loving God.

You see, as Americans we’re not defined by class, and we will never be told our place. What makes our nation exceptional is that anyone, from any background, can climb the highest of heights. As Americans, we don’t see the role of government as guaranteeing outcomes, but allowing free men and women to flourish based on their own vision, their hard work and their personal responsibility. And as Americans, we realize there is no taxpayer money that wasn’t first earned by the sweat and toil of one of our citizens.

That’s why we reject this President’s unbridled fixation on taking more money out of the wallets and pocketbooks of American families and employers and giving it to a central government.

“Spreading the wealth” punishes success while setting America on course to greater dependency on government. Washington’s insatiable desire to spend our children’s inheritance on failed “stimulus” plans and other misguided economic theories have given us record debt and left us with far too many unemployed.

But of course, now we’re told we are in recovery. Yeah.

But this sure doesn’t feel like a recovery to more than nine percent of Americans out there who are unemployed, or the sixteen percent of African Americans and 11 percent of Hispanics in the same position, or the millions more who can only find part-time work, or those who have stopped even looking for a job. One in six work-eligible Americans cannot find a full-time job. That is not a recovery. That is an economic disaster.

If you think about it, for those Americans who do have full-time jobs, they aren’t experiencing economic recovery with the rising fuel costs and the food prices that are going up. Recovery is a meaningless word if the bank has foreclosed on your home, if you are under water on your mortgage, or if you are up to the max on your credit card debt. Those Americans know that this President and his big-spending, big-government policies have prolonged our national misery, not alleviated it.

And what do we say to our children? Y’all figure it out? Don’t worry, Washington’s created 17 debt and entitlement commissions in 30 years, but the fact of the matter is they just didn’t have the courage to make the decisions to allow you to have the future that you actually deserve? That Washington wouldn’t even make modest entitlement program reforms in this last debate? And the President even refused to lay out a plan, for fear of the next election? How can the wealthiest nation in the history of civilization fail so miserably to pay its bills? How does that happen? Well, Mr. President, let us tell you something: you can't win the future by selling America off to foreign creditors.

We cannot afford four more years of this rudderless leadership. Last week, that leadership failed, and the tax and spend and borrow agenda of this President led to the first ever downgrade of the credit rating of the United States of America. In reality though, this is just the most recent downgrade. The fact is for nearly three years President Obama has been downgrading American jobs. He’s been downgrading our standing in the world. He’s been downgrading our financial stability. He’s been downgrading our confidence, and downgrading the hope for a better future for our children. That’s a fact.

His policies are not only a threat to this economy, so are his appointees – a threat. You see he stacked the National Labor Relations Board with anti-business cronies who want to dictate to a private company, Boeing, where they can build a plant. No president, no president should kill jobs in South Carolina, or any other state for that matter, simply because they choose to go to a right-to-work state. You see, when the Obama Administration is not stifling economic growth with over-regulation, they are achieving the same through their reckless spending. Debt is not only a threat to our economy, but also to our security.

America’s standing in the world is in peril, not only because of disastrous economic policies, but from the incoherent muddle that they call foreign policy. Our president has insulted our friends and he’s encouraged our enemies, thumbing his nose at traditional allies like Israel. He seeks to dictate new borders for the Middle East and the oldest democracy there, Israel, while he is an abject failure in his constitutional duty to protect our borders in the United States. His foreign policy seems to be based on alienating our traditional allies, while basing our domestic agenda on importing those failed Western European social values. We don’t need a president who apologizes for America. We need a president who protects and projects those values.

Look, it’s pretty simple: we’re going to stand with those who stand with us, and we will vigorously defend our interests. And those who threaten our interests, harm our citizens – we will simply not be scolding you, we will defeat you. Our nation cannot and it must not endure four more years of aimless foreign policy. We cannot and must not endure four more years of rising unemployment, rising taxes, rising debt, rising energy dependence on nations that intend us harm.

It is time to get America working again. To get citizens – to get our citizens working in good jobs and getting the government to working for the people again. Page one of any economic plan to get America working is to give a pink slip to the current resident in the White House.

Listen, we just got to get back to the basic truths of economic success. As Governor, I’ve had to deal with the consequences of this national recession. In 2003, and again this year, my state faced billions of dollars in budget shortfalls. But we worked hard, we made tough decisions, we balanced our budget. Not by raising taxes, but by setting priorities and cutting government spending. It can and it must be done in Washington, DC.

Alongside Dr. Schwertner, we have led Texas based on some just really pretty simple guiding principles. One is don’t spend all of the money. Two is keeping the taxes low and under control. Three is you have your regulatory climate fair and predictable. Four is reform the legal system so frivolous lawsuits don’t paralyze employers that are trying to create jobs. Over the years, we have followed this recipe to produce the strongest economy in the nation. Since June of 2009, Texas is responsible for more than forty percent of all of the new jobs created in America.

Now think about that. We’re home to less than 10 percent of the population in America, but forty percent of all the new jobs were created in that state. I’ve cut taxes. I have delivered historic property tax reductions. I was the first governor since World War II to cut general revenue spending in our state budget. We passed lawsuit reform, including just this last session a “loser pays” law to stop the frivolous lawsuits that were happening. And I know I’ve talked a lot about Texas here in the last little bit. I’m a Texan and proud of it. But first, and foremost, I’m an incredibly proud American.

And I know something: America is not broken. Washington, D.C., is broken! We need balanced budgets. We need lower taxes. We need less regulation. And we need civil justice reform – those same four principles. Our country’s most urgent need is to revitalize our economy, stop the generational theft that is going on with this record debt. I come to South Carolina because I will not sit back and accept the path that America is on. Because a great country requires a better direction. Because a renewed nation needs a new president.

It is time to get America working again. And that’s why, with the support of my family, and an unwavering belief in the goodness of America, I declare to you today as a candidate for President of the United States.

It’s time for America to believe again. It’s time to believe that the promise of our future is far greater than even our best days behind us. It’s time to believe again in the potential of private enterprise, set free from the shackles of overbearing federal government. And it’s time to truly restore our standing in the world, and renew our faith in freedom as the best hope for peace in this world that’s beset with strife.

The change we seek will never emanate out of Washington, D.C. It will come from the
windswept prairies of Middle America, the farms and factories across this great land, from the hearts and minds of the goodhearted Americans who will accept not a future that is less than our past, patriots – patriots who will not be consigned to a fate of less freedom in exchange for more government.

We do not have to accept our current circumstances. We will change them. We are Americans. That’s what we do. We roll up our sleeves. We go to work. We fix things. We stand up and proudly proclaim that Washington is not our caretaker and we reject the state that, in Margaret Thatcher’s words, she said a state that takes too much from us in order to do too much for us. We will not stand for that any longer. We’re dismayed at the injustice that nearly half of all Americans don’t even pay any income tax. And you know the liberals out there are saying that we need to pay more. We are indignant about leaders who do not listen and spend money faster than they can print it. In America, the people are not subjects of government. The government is subject to the people!

And it is up to us, to this present generation of Americans, to take a stand for freedom, to send a message to Washington that we’re taking our future back from the grips of central planners who would control our healthcare, who would spend our treasure, who downgrade our future and micro-manage our lives. It is time to limit and simplify the taxes in this country. We have to quit spending money we don’t have. We need to get our fiscal house in order and restore our good credit. And we will repeal this President’s misguided, one-size-fits-all government healthcare plan immediately. We’ll create jobs. We’ll get America working again. We’ll create jobs and we’ll build wealth, we’ll truly educate and innovate in science, and in technology, engineering and math. We’ll create the jobs and the progress needed to get America working again. And I’ll promise you this: I’ll work every day to make Washington, D.C. as inconsequential in your life as I can. And at the same time, we’ll be freeing our families and small businesses and states from the burdensome and costly federal government so those groups can create, innovate and succeed.

I believe in America. I believe in Her purpose and Her promise. I believe Her best days have not yet been lived. I believe Her greatest deeds are reserved for the generations to come. With the help and the courage of the American people, we will get our country working again. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
Note: These campaign announcements are basically the real life announcement speeches, with only minor contextual edits.

Friday, August 12th, 2011: Iowa Straw Poll.

2012 Iowa Straw Poll: 16,892 Votes.
Donald Trump: 26.30%-4,443 votes.
Ron Paul: 18.93%-3,197 votes.
Mike Huckabee: 14.56%-2,460 votes.
Newt Gingrich: 13.12 %-1,987 votes.
Mitch Daniels: 8.21%-1,387 votes.
Mitt Romney: 6.04%-1,020 votes.
Michelle Bachmann: 5.26%-889 votes.
Tim Pawlenty: 3.53%-597 votes.
Rick Santorum: 1.47%-248 votes.
Jon Huntsman: 1.04%-175 votes.
John Bolton: 0.76%-129 votes.
Rick Perry: 0.32%-54 votes.
George Pataki: 0.29%-49 votes.
Thad McCotter: 0.12%-21 votes.
Jim Gilmore: 0.04%-7 votes.
Italics indicate write-ins.

Friday, August 12th, 2011: Bachmann, McCotter, Pawlenty suspend campaigns.

AMES, IOWA: Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, Congressman Thad McCotter, and Governor Tim Pawlenty tonight ended their candidacies for the Presidency hours ahead of a debate they were expected to attend. Bachmann, whose candidacy had been plagued by staff infighting, concerns about her health, low fundraising and low exposure, was the first to announce her withdrawal from the race in the hours following her poor showing in the Ames Straw poll. In her withdrawal remarks, a teary eyed Bachmann thanked her supporters and endorsed Mike Huckabee for President.

Meanwhile, Congressman Thad McCotter, who won a mere 21 votes out of over 15,000 cast, withdrew from the race as well, telling supporters to “vote their conscience” ahead of the Iowa caucuses. McCotter’s candidacy, which lasted little over a month, was plagued by virtually no media exposure or coverage. Fundraising hulls were extremely disappointing as well, putting McCotter at the bottom of the Republican pack, ahead of only Jim Gilmore.

The biggest defeat of the night was Tim Pawlenty, who was relying on a strong showing to reset his failing candidacy. Pawlenty failed to woo voters, who relegated him to ninth place in the straw poll. His candidacy was further derailed by poor performances in the Republican debates, where clashes with Michelle Bachmann and Donald Trump embarrassed the Governor.

Governor Romney, who has largely avoided Iowa in favor of New Hampshire, was embarrassed when he placed behind Mitch Daniels, who has been mulling a last minute entry into the Presidential race. Daniel's claimed his high showing is the result of voters "tired of the politics of the past" but warned fellow Republicans against embracing the "pungent populism" of Donald Trump.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Saturday, August 13th, 2011: New polling shows shifting race.

2016 Republican Presidential Nomination (Gallup)
Donald Trump: 27%
Mike Huckabee: 21%
Mitt Romney: 18%
Ron Paul: 12%
Mitch Daniels: 11%
Rick Perry: 7%
Jon Huntsman: 5%
Newt Gingrich: 4%
John Bolton: 2%
George Pataki: 1%
Rick Santorum: 1%

Monday, August 15th, 2011: Fox News host Iowa GOP debate.

BRET BAIER: Welcome to Ames, Iowa, on the campus of Iowa State University and the Republican presidential debate.

Our event is being sponsored by Fox News and the Washington Examiner, in conjunction — in conjunction with the Iowa Republican Party. We're being seen, obviously, on Fox News Channel, being streamed on foxnews.com. You can log on and check out how you can react to our debate. We're also being heard on Fox News Radio.

And these folks in the stadium — in the studio are just fired up, as you can hear.

Okay ... now let's meet the candidates: former Senator Rick Santorum; Ambassador John Bolton; Congressman Ron Paul; former Governor George Pataki, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney; businessman Donald Trump; former Governor Mike Huckabee; former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman; and former speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.

Joining me at the desk tonight, my Fox News colleague and anchor of "Fox News Sunday," Chris Wallace. And from the Washington Examiner, Byron York and Susan Ferrechio.

We're gathered tonight at a very unsettling moment for Americans. We've watched the stock market on a wild rollercoaster ride this week, as people are anxiously tracking their balances and their retirement accounts and college funds. About 14 million people don't have a job tonight, and millions more have given up looking or have taken part-time work to try to scrape by. The nation's credit rating was downgraded for the first time in history, as we try to get a handle on the country's skyrocketing debt. And just last weekend in Afghanistan, more American lives were lost than on any other day in this decade-long conflict.

So tonight, we are respectfully asking you, the candidates, to try to put aside the talking points, to try to put aside the polished lines that get applause on the campaign trail here in Iowa and around the country, and to level with the American people, to speak from the heart about how you would navigate this country through the challenges America faces.

So let us begin. Congressman Paul, as you know, when Standard & Poor's downgraded the country's credit rating last week, one of the reasons S&P listed was because of partisan gridlock in Washington. Congressman, what specific things would you do as president to increase growth, calm the markets, create jobs that could pass through a divided Congress?

RON PAUL: Well, they didn't downgrade it mainly because they couldn't come to a conclusion. They couldn't come to a conclusion because they didn't know what was going on. The country's bankrupt, and nobody wanted to admit it. And when you're bankrupt, you can't keep spending. And all these proposed cuts weren't cuts at all. What you have to do is restore sound money. You have to understand why you have a business cycle, why you have booms and busts. If you don't do that, there's no way you can solve these problems.

And the booms and busts comes from a failed monetary system that — the interest rates that are way lower than — than they should be encourages malinvestment and debt. And to get out of that, all this other tinkering, you cannot do that unless you liquidate debt. You don't bail out the people that are bankrupt and dump the debt on the people. That is what's happened. So you have to allow liquidation of debt, eliminate the malinvestment. Then you go back and you can get growth again by having a better tax structure, lower taxes, invite capital back into this country, get a lot less regulations. And under those conditions, you can have growth again.

BRET BAIER: How would you get that plan through a divided Congress?

RON PAUL: The divided Congress will exist for a long time to come. Yes, you would have to get it through a — you'd have to get it through a divided Congress. But the one thing is, if you approach it constitutionally and if you approach it on the principles of liberty, you can bring people together.

If we have to cut, maybe we wouldn't be so — so determined that you can't cut one nickel out of the militarism around the world. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans want to cut that. So if you want to cut, you have to put the militarism on the table, as well.

BRET BAIER: Thank you Congressman Paul; Governor Huntsman, you told the "New Hampshire Union Leader" recently you intend to convene a "council of business leaders" to figure without is needed to improve our economy. Governor, you have essentially been running for president for three months now. We checked your Web site. We were unable to find a detailed plan. In the middle of an economic crisis, shouldn't you already have a pretty detailed plan by now?

JON HUNTSMAN: The plan you will find on our website, it is coming. We have been in the race only for a month and a half. But here's what I intend to do. I intend to do exactly what I did as governor of the state of Utah. We took a good state and we made it number one in this country in terms of job creation. If you want to know what I'm going to do, I'm going to do exactly what I did as governor.

It's called leadership. It's called looking at how the free market system works. It's creating a competitive environment that speaks to growth. We cut taxes historically. We didn't just cut them, we cut them historically. We created the most business-friendly environment in the entire country. We were the best-managed state in the country. We maintained a triple A bond rating. All of the things this country so desperately needs. When you look at me and you ask, what is that guy going to do? Look at what I did as governor. That is exactly what I'm going to do, and it's exactly what this country needs right now.

BRET BAIER: Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don't use a politician's filter. However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women. You've called women you don't like "fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. On your Twitter account-

DONALD TRUMP: Only Rosie O’Donnell!

BRET BAIER: But Mr. Trump, for the record, it was well beyond the scope of just Rosie O’Donnell. Your Twitter account has several disparaging comments about women's looks. You once told a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice it would be a pretty picture to see her on her knees. Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president, and how will you answer the charge from President Obama that your party is waging a war on women?

DONALD TRUMP: I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct.

I've been challenged by so many people, and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn't have time either. This country is in big trouble. We don't win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody. And frankly, what I say, and oftentimes its fun, it's kidding. We have a good time. What I say is what I say.

BRET BAIER: Speaker Gingrich, some people on this stage have run big companies, some have turned around companies, some managed payrolls. What makes you more qualified than anyone else on this stage to create jobs and grow the economy?

NEWT GINGRICH: You know, you've been asking about divided government. This coming Saturday is the 30th anniversary of Ronald Reagan signing the Kemp-Roth tax cut which was done with divided government. I was part of that effort in the House when the Democrats were in control. He did it by going to the American people with clarity, creating a sense of urgency, bringing pressure to bear on the Democratic congressmen, and building a bipartisan majority. That tax cut lead to seven years of growth, which in our current economy would be the equivalent of adding 25 million jobs, $4.4 trillion a year to the economy and $800 billion in new federal revenue. A decade later, as Speaker of the House, we had divided government. We negotiated with Bill Clinton. He vetoed welfare reform twice. We passed it three times. He signed it the third time, the largest entitlement reform of your lifetime. We passed the first tax cut in 16 years, the largest capital gains tax cut in history. Unemployment dropped to 4.2 percent. How would the country feel today at 4.2 percent unemployment? That's my credential.

BRET BAIER: Governor Pataki, you have expressed concerns about the temperament of Mr. Trump to be President tonight. You have condemned him on the campaign trail as a “pied piper” and a “charlatan.” Mr. Trump is here tonight. Do you stand by your tough talk?

GEORGE PATAKI: Yes. Yes I do. Mr. Trump has demonstrated tonight as he has time and time again, from his attacks on John McCain and Mitch to his “doxing” of Lindsey Graham that he is simply unfit to be President. That is common sense, and common sense conservatives are going to see through your charade.

DONALD TRUMP: Oh, that’s rich coming from the guy who wouldn’t have become Governor if it weren’t for my friend Howard Stern. You’re a loser George. Nobody knows who you are, why you’re here, and nobody cares where you're going. You aren’t a serious candidate because you’re a nobody. Look at how Rudy – and remember folks, Rudy was just the Mayor – how Rudy outshined you at every turn. When we were attacked on 9/11, let me tell you, us New Yorkers looked to him, not you George.

MITT ROMNEY: That’s uncalled for-

DONALD TRUMP: Pipe down Mitt-

MITT ROMNEY: I will do-

NEWT GINGRICH: This isn’t a reality show, Donald.

DONALD TRUMP: Go back to your corner, Mitt.

MITT ROMNEY: This is why-

DONALD TRUMP: This is why I’m winning! This is why I’m winning!

BRET BAIER: Gentlemen, we have to move along. Governor Huckabee, you have supported a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. You favor a constitutional amendment banning abortions, except for the life of the mother. Millions of people in this country agree with you, but according to the polls, and again this an electability question, according to the polls, more people don't, so how do you persuade enough Independents and Democrats to get elected in 2012?

MIKE HUCKABEE: Chris, I disagree with the idea that the real issue is a constitutional amendment. That's a long and difficult process. I've actually taken the position that's bolder than that. A lot of people are talking about defunding Planned Parenthood, as if that's a huge game changer. I think it's time to do something even bolder. I think the next president ought to invoke the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the constitution now that we clearly know that that baby inside the mother's womb is a person at the moment of conception. The reason we know that it is is because of the DNA schedule that we now have clear scientific evidence on. And, this notion that we just continue to ignore the personhood of the individual is a violation of that unborn child's Fifth and 14th Amendment rights for due process and equal protection under the law. It's time that we recognize the Supreme Court is not the Supreme Being, and we change the policy to be pro-life and protect children

BRET BAIER: Thank you, Governor. Ambassador Bolton, you have been an outspoken supporter of military action against Iran’s nuclear program. As President, if you were handed intelligence that showed Iran close to completing a nuclear bomb, would you order a preemptive strike?

JOHN BOLTON: Absolutely! The threat of a nuclear Iran is the greatest threat to the United States today. The oppressive ruling regime – the Ayatollah’s if you will – are state sponsors of terrorism who have openly called for the destruction of Israel and “death to America” and all that….they are…they’re a credible danger. And I would order surgical strikes to cripple their nuclear capacity if intelligence showed they were close to developing the necessary technology required to construct a nuclear device.

DONALD TRUMP: What about after the bombing? Than what? What is your plan-

JOHN BOLTON: Well if boots on the ground-

DONALD TRUMP: You have no plan. We can’t afford another war, folks. We can’t! And these bozoos, including Ron Paul who is just far, far, far too weak on defense, they just don’t get it. I’ll negotiate with Iran. I’m a negotiator. I’ll tell them “hey, you aren’t building these nukes” and they’ll know I mean business. It won’t come to bombing folks, and if it does, then we bomb the hell out of them!

BRET BAIER: Congressman Paul, you were invoked. Response?

RON PAUL: Well, Mr. Trump’s policies and his campaign have been completely erratic. And an erratic foreign policy isn’t a successful one. He can build great buildings, sure, but he can’t build bridges. And any bridges he’ll build will collapse if you….if you get the metaphor. He has no regard for the Constitution, and the way the founders wrote it, the Constitution will have little regard for him! He’ll find himself to be a very ineffective President should he win.

DONALD TRUMP: What have these guys even done? Ron’s been in Congress for going on forty years, Rick was in Congress for two decades before he got chewed up and spit out. Mitt didn’t even serve two terms because he was destined to lose in 2006 and he wanted to run in 2008. But what have they done? Ron’s right. I build things. I build tangible things. I don’t push paper like Mitt….and I don’t push American jobs abroad.

BRET BAIER: Mr. Trump, it has not escaped anybody's notice that you say that the Mexican government, the Mexican government is sending criminals -- rapists, drug dealers, across the border. Governor Romney has called those remarks, quote, "extraordinarily ugly." I'd like you - you're right next to him - tell us - talk to him directly and say how you respond to that and - and you have repeatedly said that you have evidence that the Mexican government is doing this, but you have evidence you have refused or declined to share. Why not use this Republican presidential debate to share your proof with the American people?

DONALD TRUMP: So, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be talking about illegal immigration, Bret. You wouldn't even be talking about it. This was not a subject that was on anybody's mind until I brought it up at my announcement. And I said, Mexico is sending. Except the reporters, because they're a very dishonest lot, generally speaking, in the world of politics, they didn't cover my statement the way I said it. The fact is, since then, many killings, murders, crime, drugs pouring across the border, are money going out and the drugs coming in. And I said we need to build a wall, and it has to be built quickly. And I don't mind having a big beautiful door in that wall so that people can come into this country legally. But we need, Mitt, to build a wall, we need to keep illegals out.

MITT ROMNEY: We're not looking to bring people in right now — in jobs that can be done by Americans, at least. But at the same time, we want to make sure that America is a home and welcome to the best and brightest in the world. If someone comes here and gets a PhD in — in physics, that's the person I'd like to staple a green card to their — to their diploma, rather than saying to them to go home.

Instead, we let people come across our border illegally or stay here and overstay their visa. They get to stay in the country. I want the best and brightest to be metered into the country based upon the needs of our employment sector and create jobs by bringing technology and innovation that comes from people around the world. Look, we — we are a nation of immigrants. We love legal immigration. But for legal immigration to work, we have to secure the border, and we also have to crack down on employers that hire people who are here illegally. I like legal immigration. I'd have the number of visas that we give to people here that come here legally, determined in part by the needs of our employment community. But we have to secure our border and crack down on those that bring folks here and hire here illegally.

DONALD TRUMP: But you don’t have a plan-

MITT ROMNEY: I just laid out my plan.

DONALD TRUMP: There’s no wall. There’s no wall. What the hell kind of plan doesn’t include the wall?!

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011: Napolitano announces immigration overhaul.

WASHINGTON, DC: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the United States will prioritize the deportations of criminal illegal immigrants, and will allow currently detained illegal immigrants to apply for a work permit. The announcement was met with a firestorm of controversy on the right, with Donald Trump tweeting his opposition: “do we have a country or not” asked the right-wing firebrand frontrunner for the Republican nomination. Napolitano defended the changes, writing in an official statement that “from a law enforcement and public safety perspective, DHS enforcement resources must continue to be focused on our highest priorities.”

Still, there was some support among Republicans. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who has been considered in the past a potential presidential contender himself, was among the few prominent Republicans to come out in favor of the announcement. Republican presidential contender Jon Huntsman also offered support for the President, praising the administration’s “common sense approach” to immigration.

Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX) condemned the President’s “latest effort to bypass the legislative process” while Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) supported the decision, claiming that the new rules would “make the American dream available to all” during a speech to the House floor. The new rules will likely remained enforced via executive order, due to the polarized nature of Congress making it unlikely that immigration legislation could be passed.
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011: In the wake of the proposed immigration reform package pushed by the floundering Obama administration, Donald Trump lashes out in opposition at a rally in Dallas, Texas. Trump didn’t mince words in his reaction to the new immigration enforcement guidelines recently issued by the Obama administration. “Who the hell is this woman!?” exclaimed Trump, adding “what the hell does she know?” The statement drew fire immediately from other candidates, with Jon Huntsman noting in a statement that Napolitano served “admirably as a western border state governor” while President Obama told reporters that Trump’s latest remarks were “obnoxious.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also condemned Trump’s “tiresome and sexist remarks” in a statement.
Thursday, August 18th, 2011: President Obama has officially called for the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al Assad in a terse statement released by the State Department. The statement, which reads in part that “Syria’s future must be determined by the Syrian people alone,” also announced the introduction of financial sanctions of numerous individuals connected with the Syrian regime. The statement was elaborated on by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who told reporters that “Assad is the clear enemy of Syrians seeking freedom and democracy” and that “no options are off the table” when it comes to “terminating the regime’s ability to wage war on its own people.”

[Lord Byron]

Good updates; the level of detail of this TL is impressive...

Waiting for more...

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Working on the transcript of the next debate. I promise updates will come as soon as possible!

[Boobs]

I really enjoy reading this – it’s very realistic. Eagerly awaiting your next update.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Saturday, August 20th, 2011:
-Former President Bill Clinton quietly forms a SuperPAC, officially to support Clinton aligned candidates for offices across the country. When word reaches the press, rumors quickly spread that the PAC is really intended to serve as a political vehicle to advance Hillary’s future political ambitions.

-At a press conference after an event in Indiana touting the administration’s jobs plan, President Obama finds himself facing tough questions from Fox News’s Mike Emmanuel, who pointedly asks the President “is your Presidency over?” The comments draw the ire of correspondents from other networks and news outlet.
Sunday, August 21st, 2011: Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) announces his intention to primary President Obama on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Citing the need for “real and radical change,” Kucinich lambasts the President as “a fraud” who has “abandoned the party’s core values.” Kucinich cited the health care bill as being “watered down” and noted the President’s willingness to compromise with Republicans over the debt ceiling in fueling his interest in seeking the Presidency for a third time.

Barack.

Monday, August 21st, 2011:

Washington, DC.

“We must now live with the consequences of our discord. In failing to reach a deal, we have let down the American people, who just last year elected a new Congress in the hope of a government that could best serve the people. We have let the people down, and worse yet, we have let the world down. Across the globe, nation after nation now teeters on recession because of our inaction, our shortsightedness, our intransigence. We now face the prospect of choosing between paying our brave members of our armed forces or paying our social security obligations. We now face the prospect of making gravely serious cuts to our national defense.

Tonight, my most pressing priority is restoring economic stability and prosperity to this great land. It should be the top priority for every member of this Congress as well. And with such great and awe inspiring responsibilities coming with the Presidency, it is incumbent on me to make the responsible choices. As such, I will not be seeking the Presidency a second time in 2012…..the time has come for me to stand aside and do what is right by the American people, and not what is expedient for me.

In spite of the grave concerns that face us, I still believe that the best days are still ahead of us. We have come to a standstill, but there is nowhere to move but forward. I am convinced that whatever lies ahead of us can be overcome. We can come together – we will come together – to ensure that the American dream remains a reality, and not a fantasy. Thank You….God Bless you….and may God bless America!”
Note: Shamelessly ripping off Snowstalker here. This entire speech was lifted from an old timeline of his.

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011: World react to Obama announcement.

WEST PALM BEACH, FL: From his Mar-A-Lago estate in Florida, Donald Trump took to Twitter to react to Obama’s announcement that he’ll be standing down from reelection. “HALLELUJAH!” read the first tweet in all caps from the real estate tycoon, followed by a second tweet in which Trump appears to take credit for Obama’s decision, writing “Obama was afraid to run against me, so now he is running home to Chicago. Bye bye!” Governor Mitt Romney also celebrated the news, gleefully opening his rally in Nashua, New Hampshire today by declaring “anything is possible!” and claiming that “this is our moment.” Governor Huckabee also celebrated the news, repeating “praise God!” several times as his audience roared with thunderous applause and cheers. Other candidates were more measured, with former Ambassador Jon Huntsman praising President Obama for his “tireless service” to the country and promising “a new direction” for “a revitalized Republic.”

Senate Minority Mitch McConnell tweeted “Mission Accomplished” to a considerable degree of backlash, a reference to his apparently successful mission to make Obama “a one term President.” The tweet was angrily rebuffed by his colleague Senator Al Franken (D-MN), who in an angry (and viral) response tweeted “F you” before hastily deleting it. “I think Congress is going to be shattered for a long time” warned House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi, who lamented “the GOP’s partisan witch hunt.” Others voiced their anger; Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) of Obama’s home of Chicago, warned that “Pandora’s box has been opened” and that “the next Republican President is going to rue this day.”

The world reaction was more positive for the President; Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom lauded President Obama as “a patriot and a statesman” while Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised the President as “a true friend of Canada and the world.” Israeli Prime Minister Ben Netanyahu offered more tepid remarks, lamenting their “unproductive partnership” and expressing home for “a more nuanced voice” in Washington.
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011:
-Vice President Joe Biden files with the FEC to run for the Democratic nomination. A kickoff rally is hastily scheduled in a few days as the Vice President goes into overdrive, quickly gobbling up Obama alumni to staff his campaign. Biden’s office confirms he’ll be appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press to elaborate on his candidacy. The White House declines to comment on whether or not the President will immediately endorse the Vice President.

-Secretary of State Clinton dodges questions about a potential presidential candidacy with Obama’s sudden departure from the race. Though Clinton has been reported to be in near constant contact with close allies and longtime boosters, she insists that she is “focused” on her work as Secretary of State.
Thursday, August 25th, 2011: Gallup releases new polling for both the Republican and Democratic primary fields.

2012 Republican Presidential Nomination (Gallup)
Donald Trump: 24%
Mike Huckabee: 14%
Mitt Romney: 13%
Ron Paul: 12%
Mitch Daniels: 9%
Rick Perry: 8%
Jon Huntsman: 7%
Newt Gingrich: 7%
John Bolton: 3%
George Pataki: 1%
Rick Santorum: 1%
Gary Johnson: 1%

2012 Democratic Presidential Nomination (Gallup)
Hillary Clinton: 38%
Joe Biden: 24%
Bernie Sanders: 15%
Brian Schweitzer: 11%
Martin O’Malley: 5%
Dennis Kucinich: 3%
Artur Davis: 1%
Friday, August 26th, 2011: Former Congressman Artur Davis (D-AL) files with the FEC to run for President in 2012. Davis, like Biden, filed early but has not fully launched his candidacy. An official announcement is slated for later in September. Davis joins Dennis Kucinich and Joe Biden as the first two major Democratic candidates to enter the race.
Saturday, August 27th, 2011: Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) begins a “listening tour” of the early primary states, telling NPR that he is “exploring a possible campaign.” Sander’s tour is entirely funded by an avalanche of small donations, using the “money bomb” fundraising technique that Congressman Ron Paul’s had perfected.
Sunday, August 28th, 2011: Evacuations have been ordered as powerful Hurricane Irene barrels its way up the Atlantic coast towards New England. A Category 3 hurricane at its peak, Irene is expected to cause severe flooding, particularly in Vermont, where the Governor has declared a state of emergency. The hurricane has already caused severe damage along the Atlantic coast, having first made landfall in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Meanwhile in Boston, the MBTA has shut down all commuter trains for the first time in preparation for the storm. So far, 55 people have been killed and millions left without power due to the Hurricane.

Joe.

Monday, August 29th, 2011:

Washington, DC.

“I’ve always been one to get to the point: I am running for President.

And my favorite Democrat, Jilly, I want you to know that Beau and Hunt and Ashley and I — we're so incredibly proud of you, kid. You know, we admire the way — they way that when every single solitary young person — and they're not all young — walk into your classroom, you not only teach them, you give them confidence. You give me confidence. And the passion — the passion she brings to trying to ease the burden on the families of our warriors. Jilly, they know you understand them. And that makes a gigantic difference.

And I say to my fellow Americans: My fellow Americans, four years ago a battered nation turned away from the failed policies of the past and turned to a leader who they knew would lift our nation out of the crisis — a journey — a journey we haven't finished yet. We know we still have more to do. But today I say to my fellow citizens: In the face of the deepest economic crisis in our lifetime, this generation of Americans has proven itself as worthy as any generation before us. For we present that same grit, that same determination, that same courage that has always defined what it means to be an American, has always defined all of you. Together we're on a mission. We're on a mission to move this nation forward from doubt and downturn to promise and prosperity, a mission I guarantee you we will complete!

In the last three years, I’ve stood proudly behind President Obama as he worked to affect an economic recovery. Despite Republican obstruction, this President has delivered healthcare to millions who went without, has created hundreds of thousands of jobs, saved Detroit, and fought for a bipartisan approach in Washington. In his courageous and selfless decision to stand down from reelection, President Obama has demonstrated clearly both the change we needed so desperately three years ago and the hope that we as a nation aspire to.

Meanwhile, Governor Romney believes in this global economy — it doesn't matter much where American companies invest and put their money or where they create jobs. As a matter of fact, in his budget proposal, in his tax proposal, he calls for a new tax. It's called a territorial tax, which the experts have looked at, and they acknowledge it will create 800,000 new jobs — all of them overseas, all of them. Mike Huckabee believes in America that never was, an America where one segment of the populations ways and costumes are enforced over others, where women loose their right to choice, where our brothers and sisters in the LGBT community are maligned, ignored, and denied their right to be treated decently and fairly under the law. And Donald Trump is a downright racist!

But, in spite of all the negativity that has come from the opposition, despite the obstruction, the sandbagging, the stalling, I repeat President Obama’s adage – the phrase that inspired and united our nation just three years ago: yes we can!

Yes we can have healthcare that is affordable and available to all! Yes we can bring a permanent peace to the Middle East that is both lasting and just! Yes we can bring home our troops in victory! Yes we can save and expand Medicare and Social Security so future generations may reap their bounties! Yes we can find a solution to immigration and extend the American Dream to all who seek it! So I say to you tonight with absolute confidence, America's best days are ahead, and yes, we are on our way. And in light — in light of that horizon, for the values that define us, for the ideals that inspire us, there is only one choice: the Democratic Party. My fellow Americans, we now — we now — and we now find ourselves at the hinge of history. And the direction we turn is not figuratively, it is literally in your hands. It has been a truly great honor to serve you and to serve with Barack, who has always stood up with you for the past three years. And it would be a greater honor to continue serving, to take my fight for justice and jobs to the finish line. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America!”
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011: Hillary Clinton abruptly resigns as Secretary of State as she weighs either endorsing Biden or entering the fray herself. President Obama vows to name a replacement in the coming days. Most speculation turns towards National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) as potential candidates.

[Cold War Liberal]

I'M READY FOR HILLARY '12

#ImWithHer

[NewYorkExpress]

My guess is that neither Biden nor Hillary gets the nomination...and since Sanchez really likes Trump, Trump will win in November.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

My guess is that neither Biden nor Hillary gets the nomination...and since Sanchez really likes Trump, Trump will win in November.

Time will tell who wins, but I'm not in the business of making "wank" timelines.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Huntsman at 7%? Gogogo!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Thursday, September 1st, 2011: Trump: Bring it on Hillary.

RALEIGH, NC: “Bring it on Hillary” marked Donald Trump’s opening salvo on now former Secretary of State Clinton as she mulls a 2012 run. Trump did not mince words for his potential opponent, criticizing her as “a lackluster Secretary of State” and “a total flop” as a candidate. “We’ll win and we’ll win bigly” predicted Trump, “Hillary is just too out of touch.” The comments were made at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, a state Trump promised his audience he’d flip “easily” if Hillary Clinton or “crazy Bernie” were his opponents in a general election.

Reporters were quick to point out that Trump has previously praised Hillary Clinton, expressing support for the Libya intervention (which he now opposes) on Twitter and praising her as a “class act” in one of his books. Despite this, Trump has insisted that he’s “never been a fan” (as he told Fox News’s Bret Baier) of Secretary Clinton and lamented her tenure at the State Department as “a series of bad deals and immediate surrenders,” in particular citing the continued Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs and the situation in Libya as “strategic failures” by the former Secretary.

Friday, September 2nd, 2011: Global depression feared by economists.

LONDON, UK: The British government is the latest to warn of possible economic calamity after Wall Street saw stocks tumble for the fifteenth straight day in a row. With thousands upon thousands of Americans losing as much as 50% of their retirement savings already, the Obama administration is considering extraordinary measures such as impounding funds to keep programs like Social Security afloat. Such a move could provide desperately needed relief for senior citizens – many of whom have lost their savings in the crash and will be forced to rely on Social Security. America is not the only source of concern, however.

In Greece, fears that a second bailout may be required to keep the nation afloat has many German banks worried that customers may rush in mass to withdrawal their deposits; many of these banks have seen huge losses already due to the stock market collapse in the United States, creating an increasingly fragile situation which threatens to engulf Germany and the entire Eurozone. The fears over a Europe wide crash have triggered a growing sense of Euroscepticism, particularly in Britain and Greece, where calls for exiting the EU have grown louder in recent weeks.

Saturday, September 3rd, 2011: Social Security funds gridlocked.

WASHINGTON, DC: In an alarming turn of events, the White House confirmed that the federal government will be unable to meet its social security obligations by the end of the month; with the shutdown having halted logistical work at the Social Security Administration, it will be impossible for Social Security checks to go out. Though funds have been impounded in order to keep Social Security buffered, the money now appears to be effectively useless as the shutdown continues.

The news sparked fears among senior citizens, particularly those who rely on Social Security payments, of an uncertain future. There is growing pressure from advocacy groups like AARP on Republican leaders in Congress to compromise with the administration as Speaker Boehner, Senate majority leader Harry Reid, and the President prepare to golf together tomorrow. Hopes are low that a final resolution can be agreed upon on the golf course, though the news that negotiations were to resume briefly sent stocks soaring after weeks of straight losses.
Sunday, September 4th, 2011: On ”Meet the Press,” outgoing Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer announces the formation of an exploratory committee, promising a decision on a run by the middle of October.
Monday, September 5th, 2011: A disgruntled ex-Bachmann staffer in New Hampshire by the name of Corey Lewandowski is hired by Donald Trump’s campaign David Bossie to oversee the campaigns efforts in the Granite State.
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011: 32 year old Eduardo Sencion shoots and kills three National Guardsmen and an elderly woman at a Carson City I-HOP. The shooting is one of the worst acts of violence committed in recent memory in Nevada.
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011:
-Tropical Storm Lee slams the northeast coast, causing severe flooding in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Over 10,000 people in Broome County, PA, are forced to evacuate as overflow from nearby rivers threatens their home.

-Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels announces he will not run for President in 2012 and endorses Mitt Romney for the nomination instead.
Thursday, September 8th, 2011: Former Governor George Pataki’s campaign is embarrassed when Pataki’s former Lt. Governor, Betsy McCaughey, endorses Donald Trump’s candidacy. She is named as a domestic policy adviser, with particular insight on healthcare.

Wednesday, September 7th, 2011: GOP candidates debate at Reagan Library.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: Tonight, from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library, in a place dedicated to the memory of this Republican icon, in the 100th year after his birth, we will hear from the eight candidates who would like to claim his legacy.  They're all here tonight ready to explain and defend their positions on job creation, on spending, debt, and taxes, on America's costly dual wars, and the toxic gridlock that is Washington, D.C.

Thank you especially for joining us here in this spectacular space, this spectacular presidential library, where we are all gathered under the wings of Air Force One.  We're going to get right to it tonight because we have a lot of candidates on stage, a lot of issues to talk about.
 
And for the next hour and 45 minutes, give or take, along with my colleague and friend, John Harris of the website Politico, we will be putting questions to the eight candidates on stage tonight. By agreement, they will have one minute to answer and then 30 seconds for follow-up or rebuttal, as they say, at the moderator's discretion. There will be no opening or closing statements during this debate tonight.
 
With that out of the way, we're going to start with jobs and the economy. The numbers from our new NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll this week are, candidly, jaw-dropping. The country thinks the economy is going to get worse before it gets better. A majority of people in this country now believe the Republican policies of the first eight years of the past decade are responsible for the economic mess we're in. And we should quickly add, a majority also don't believe the current Democratic president has set the right policies to fix the fix we're in. Question is, really, who can?

Governor Perry, we're going to begin with you. You're the newcomer here on stage. You probably saw this coming a mile away. You have touted your state's low taxes, the lack of regulation, tough tort reform as the recipe for job growth in the Lone Star State, but Texas ranks last among those who have completed high school, there are only eight other states with more living in poverty, no other state has more working at or below the minimum wage. So is that the kind of answer all Americans are looking for?

RICK PERRY: Actually, what Americans are looking for is someone who can get this country working again.  And we put the model in place in the state of Texas. When you look at what we have done over the last decade, we created 1 million jobs in the state of Texas. At the same time, America lost 2.5 million. So I will suggest to you that Americans are focused on the right issue, and that is, who on this stage can get America working?  Because we know for a fact the resident of the White House can’t and we know that the Vice President and Secretary Clinton aren’t going to do any better.
 
BRIAN WILLIAMS: But you know by now the counterargument to that is the number of low-wage jobs and the fact that unemployment is better in over half the states of the union than it is right now in Texas.
 
RICK PERRY: Well, the first part of that comment is incorrect, because 95% of all the jobs that we've created have been above minimum wage. So I'm proud of what we've done in the state of Texas. And for the White House or anyone else to be criticizing creation of jobs now in America, I think is a little bit hypocritical. You want to create jobs in America?  You free the American entrepreneur to do what he or she does, which is risk their capital, and I'll guarantee you, the entrepreneur in America, the small businessman and woman, they're looking for a president that will say we're going to lower the tax burden on you and we're going to lower the regulation impact on you, and free them to do what they do best: create jobs.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: Governor Romney, over to you. You've opened the door on this topic, at least where Governor Perry's concerned. Despite your own private-sector experience, as you know, Massachusetts ranked only 47th in job creation during your tenure as governor. As for your private-sector experience, as Governor Perry's strategist recently put it, consisted of being, quote, "a buyout specialist."  Your response to that?

MITT ROMNEY: Well, not terribly accurate, at least with regards to the latter.  And our state -- I'm happy to take a look at the Massachusetts record, because when I came in as governor, we were in a real freefall. We were losing jobs every month.  We had a budget that was way out of balance. So I came into office, we went to work as a team, and we were able to turn around the job losses. And at the end of four years, we had our unemployment rate down to 4.7 percent. That's a record I think the Democrats couldn’t dream of. As a matter of fact, we created more jobs in Massachusetts than this president has created in the entire country. The policies that will get us working again as a nation are policies I understand having worked in the private sector.
 
Look, if I had spent my whole life in government, I wouldn't be running for president right now.  My experience, having started enterprises, having helped other enterprises grow and thrive, is what gives me the experience to put together a plan to help restructure the basis of America's economic foundation so we can create jobs again, good jobs, and compete with anyone in the world. This country has a bright future.  Our president doesn't understand how the economy works.  I do, because I've lived in it.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: Time, Governor. Mr. Trump, you have stated many times that you are a builder. But you’ve also gone bust a few times, its fair to say. Why should voters trust you to create jobs when several of your properties, particularly in Atlantic City, went bankrupt?

DONALD TRUMP: First Brian, what a terrible, rude, false question-

BRIAN WILLIAMS: -its been reported widely-

DONALD TRUMP: -no, no, no, let me tell the story Brian, you’ll just lie about it. ‘Lyin Brian, everyone! I have never gone bankrupt. What I have done is….what I've done is I've used, brilliantly, the laws of the country. And not personally, just corporate. And if you look at people like myself that are at the highest levels of business, they use -- many of them have done it, many times.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: But, Mr. Trump, the facts say different. Insults won’t defect the question-

DONALD TRUMP: Brian, you lied about your experiences in Iraq. You guys in the press do that constantly – you lie. The shame of it is –

BRIAN WILLIAMS: Mr. Trump, this race isn’t about me nor are those statements-

DONALD TRUMP: Can you believe this guy!? I read your book Brian, you said your helicopter got shot down. But Private Lance Reynolds, a great patriot, he was on that flight, he was there, he saw everything, and you know what? He says you’re lying. He said it eight years ago. He’s saying it now. He contacted me with his story, so don’t tell me that he’s lying.

BRIAN WILLIAMS: We’re just going to move on….

Friday, September 9th, 2011: Did Trump expose Williams lie?

NEW YORK, NY: NBC’s Brian Williams is under fire after Donald Trump highlighted claims from Iraq veterans that contradict the anchor’s account of an incident during the opening hours of the invasion of Iraq. Williams, who claimed to be on board a helicopter forced to land by RPG fire, was called out by Lance Reynolds in 2003, though the story was largely ignored at the time. In spite of this, Reynolds continued to press the claim and reportedly contacted Trump staffers with his account of events the week before. After Trump’s sparring with Williams during the debate, in which Trump referenced Reynold’s claims, several other veterans came forward backing up Reynold’s account of the incident. NBC has yet to comment on the matter, nor has Williams.

Regardless of the growing scandal surrounding Williams, many in the media were none the less angered by Trump’s actions during the debate. “He went in there with an agenda” warned Cokie Roberts in an interview with MSNBC, “he went in there fully intending on scalping Brian on national television just so he can sow distrust among the public.” Roberts was not alone; Carl Bernstein, in an appearance on CNN with Anderson Cooper, also voiced his distrust of Trump. “This man is a pathological liar” Bernstein complained, “and he’s out to tear up the first amendment, and what better way to do that by firing up a mob?”

The public however has taken a different view. Trump’s polarizing presence aside, the media’s credibility came under fire on social media feeds across the country while NBC was inundated with calls from viewers calling for William’s firing. The backlash has forced other networks to publically affirm their commitment to journalism through a plethora of PR statements released in the wake of the Williams scandal. Conservatives have doubled down on anti-media rhetoric as a result, with a number of presidential candidates expressing their mistrust of various outlets and making claims of media bias at rallies across the country. One candidate, Jon Huntsman, offered a more tepid analysis: “when the stream of communication between the press and the people breaks down, the most obnoxious voices tend to break the silence” advised Huntsman, “and it is in that chaos that the truth gets drowned out.” Huntsman concluded that is “incumbent on everyone, the media and the news consumer alike, to recommit to the pursuit of truth.”
Note: Reynolds is fictional.
Saturday, September 10th, 2011:
-President Obama announces his selection of National Security Adviser Susan Rice to fill the position of Secretary of State. The previous officeholder, Hillary Clinton, had abruptly resigned to more carefully weigh a second presidential campaign.

-The Brian Williams controversy dominates the news broadcasts on every network (aside from NBC), with increasing pressure from other journalistic outlets demanding his termination. NBC claims they will investigate the claims first made public by Donald Trump.
Sunday, September 11th, 2011: The nation marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. President Obama and former President George W. Bush lay a wreath at Ground Zero in remembrance of the many lives lost in the attacks.