Day: February 23, 2012

Rating Candidates’ Economic Plans: Obama and Ron Paul Plans Produce Lowest Debt to GDP Rate

Jon Ponder

chart-debt-gdp

Based on data [PDF] from US Budget Watch from CRFB, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget — analysis from libertarian Reason Magazine:

How is it that Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich would end up increasing the federal debt? It’s pretty simple, really: They would cut taxes, but wouldn’t cut spending to match. Santorum’s policies would reduce spending by a little more than $2 trillion, but would cut taxes by $6 trillion. Gingrich would cut slightly more in spending—about $2.7 trillion—but would cut taxes by $7 trillion and actually add $1.6 trillion in spending to overhaul Social Security, among other policy changes. Romney’s vague plans score better, but wouldn’t reduce the debt, and would probably push it slightly higher than it otherwise would have been. Ron Paul, on the other hand, would cut taxes, but he’d cut spending even more. His tax cuts would reduce the tax burden by $5.2 trillion; meanwhile, he would reduce spending by $7.2 trillion.

H/t: Daily Dish.

Ultrasound Mandate: Transvaginal Procedures Are Already Required in Texas

Jon Ponder

If you can read this, your government is too closeEarly last year, Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry declared the passage of a law requiring women seeking abortions to undergo sonograms an “emergency item” on the Legislature’s calendar. Despite the fact that the procedures are medically unnecessary, the Big Government Republicans who control the Texas Legislature passed the bill, and Gov. Perry signed it into law in May 2011, three months before he launched his bid for the GOP presidential nomination.

Earlier this month, after challenges to the law failed in court, the government’s ultrasound mandate — which includes the transvaginal ultrasounds that are so controversial now in Virginia — went into effect in Texas:

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‘Signs’ of Trouble? Newt’s Campaign Refuses to Pay for Yard Signs

Trish

YardSignNot only is Newt Gingrich’s campaign failing to win continued support among deep pocket Republicans, it looks like it’s trying to save money the old fashioned way: by not paying bills.

To be fair, the campaign says it never authorized St. Augustine, Florida screen printer Rob DePiazza to make yard signs and bumper stickers ahead of the Florida primary.

DePiazza does not dispute that, but says he was commissioned by a local political operative for whom he has worked in the past without issues. Now DePiazza is caught in the middle, and out $3,200.

The closer it got to the vote, he said, the slimmer Newt’s chances looked.

“I started worrying, because the need for the signs was diminishing rapidly,” said DePiazza.

DePiazza says he was contacted by Robert Smith, a St. Augustine resident who had put him in touch with campaigns in the past.

“We had to reproduce the official artwork, and the artwork has the disclaimer on it. Newt.Org, Paid For By Newt 2012,” he said.

But when it came time for payment, DePiazza says he got a check from Smith, not the Gingrich campaign.

That check bounced, and Gingrich lost Florida badly.

The small businessman was left with more than a rubber check. He also had a bad taste in his mouth from the Gingrich folks.

“All they care about is money and if people get hurt along the way, they really don’t care,” he said.