Month: February 2012

Poll: Most Agree with Obama Admin That Religious Businesses Should Cover Cost of Contraceptives

Jon Ponder

chart-poll-contraceptive-coverage

Sarah Kiff at the Washington Post’s Wonkblog:

A majority of Catholics — 52 percent — … agree with the Obama administration’s decision to not exempt religious hospitals and universities from the provision. “Outside the political punditry, most Catholics agree with the administration on the issue,” says one Obama campaign official, explaining the view that this could be a political win.

And a lot of this likely isn’t about Catholic voters at all.

Rather, it may well be about the demographics that are most supportive of this particular health reform provision: young voters and women. In the PRRI poll, both groups register support above 60 percent for the provision.

Report: Romneys’ Sons Contradict Mom about Fate of Seamus the Irish Setter

Jon Ponder

photo-fleeing-setter

No one but a cruel idiot or a heartless cyborg would force a dog to ride in kennel strapped to the top of a car for 12 hours, as Mitt Romney famously did in 1983. But a new report suggests that Mitt’s wife Ann may have lied to reporters about the ultimate fate of Seamus, the Irish Setter — reportedly according to her own sons:

Mitt Romney may not have told the whole truth about the scandalous tale of his Irish Setter, Seamus, being strapped to the roof of his car during a 12-hour family road trip to Canada. According to a trusted Politicker tipster, two of Mr. Romney’s sons had an off-record conversation with reporters where they revealed the dog ran away when they reached their destination on that infamous journey in 1983.

Mr. Romney’s wife, Ann, has previously said Seamus survived the trip and went on to live to a “ripe old age.” As of this writing, Mr. Romney’s campaign has not responded to multiple requests for comment on this story.

Last month, another aspect of this story came to light when it was reported that Seamus had violent attack of diarrhea while he was in the kennel. Romney’s response was to haul the dog down off the roof, hose him off and then, despite the fact that the dog was obviously terrified, sick and suffering, put him back in the kennel on the roof for the rest of the trip.

If Seamus really did run away from his captors when they finally let him out in Canada, it was a perfectly rational response.

Trump Puzzled by Santorum

Buck Banks

Rick Santorum was a sitting senator who in re-election lost by 19 points, to my knowledge the most in the history of this country for a sitting senator to lose by 19 points. It’s unheard of. Then he goes out and says oh ‘okay’ I just lost by the biggest margin in history and now I’m going to run for president. Tell me, how does that work? …. That’s like me saying I just failed a test. Now I’m going to apply for admission to the Wharton School of Finance. Okay? He just failed a test …. And now he’s going to run for president. So, I don’t get Rick Santorum. I don’t get that whole thing.

— Donald Trump, who claimed his endorsement gave Mitt Romney victory in Nevada, telling CNN he was perplexed about Rick Santorum.

Super PACs Receive Untraceable Funds

Buck Banks

6 of 10

Top super PACs active in the 2012 elections have received money from untraceable sources, including nonprofits and shell corporations, according to Roll Call. “A third source of untraceable donations was money transfers from one super PAC to another … in cases where the super PAC making the contribution had itself received funding from one or more nonprofits.”

Edwards Campaign Still Spending Four Years Later

Buck Banks

$2.1 million

Amount John Edwards owes taxpayers in public matching funds improperly received after he dropped his 2008 run for the White House, the AP reports. “Edwards’ hopes for the Democratic presidential nomination imploded in a sex scandal four years ago that left him facing criminal charges. But reports filed last week show his 2008 primary campaign spent $836,712 in 2011 on airfare, hotel rooms, cell phones and other expenses.”