Water Cooler

The Water Cooler is written by Kerry Picket and other Washington Times opinion page staffers.
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• PICKET: Gallup shows U.S. unemployment at 9%

  By Kerry Picket · Published February 14 2012, 06:38AM · Comment

  Gallup released new information on Monday showing that the unemployment rate has managed to creep back up to 9.0 percent. Gallup gathers daily unemployment information of U.S. adults in the workforce, ages 18 and older, who are underemployed, unemployed, and employed full-time for an employer. However, unlike the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report that the administration cites, Gallup's data are raw numbers numbers and not packaged with seasonal adjustments. With seasonal adjustments, BLS shows the unemployment rate at 8.3 percent.  Gallup also shows the underemployment rate is at 19.2%. Those who are underemployed, according to Gallup, are individuals who "are employed part time, but want to work full time, or they are unemployed."   click for more

• PICKET: Obama camp tees up online 'truth team'

  By Kerry Picket · Published February 13 2012, 09:49AM · Comment

  The Barack Obama re-election campaign has created what they claim to be a "Truth Team." According to reports the group will be in charge of three different websites under the umbrella of BarackObama.com. These are:  KeepingHisWord.com, Keeping GOPHonest.com and AttackWatch.com. Similar to the 2008 then - Sen. Obama presidential campaign website FightTheSmears.com, the 2012 Obama re-election websites' are designed to seek out and respond to criticism of President Obama. It is one thing for a relatively new candidate for the White House to have websites like these. However, after almost four years in office, an incumbent president should think twice about a re-election campaign that uses a website with a phrase like "report an attack" on it.    click for more

• PICKET: (VIDEO) Palin doesn't rule out late entrant...'competition is good'

  By Kerry Picket · Published February 11 2012, 06:34PM · Comment

  Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin spoke to the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday and managed to even amp up her fans as she walked into Washington D.C.'s Wardman Marriott before her remarks. As Governor Palin left the hotel press and supporters waited for her near the lobby door. I asked Governor Palin if she would welcome another candidate into the GOP presidential candidate pool.   "Competition is good. It makes everybody stronger. We have a great field going as it stands and we’re going to see how the process evolves," Governor Palin told me. "And if it ended up a brokered convention at the end of the day, well that would be an exciting time for all." click for more

• GREEN: (VIDEO) Gov. Sarah Palin says Santorum not 'a threat' to Romney

  By Anneke E. Green · Published February 11 2012, 06:29PM · Comment

  Governor Sarah Palin took time to answer a couple of questions on her way out the door from delivering a rousing speech at the Conservative Political Action Committee today. Asked by me if she thought a surging Senator Santorum was a threat to Governor Romney, she answered that she wouldn't consider him a threat but was still "a good competitor." She added that competition is good for the system and the process was "making each candidate stronger." She finished by praising the candidates willingness to compete and that she appreciated their efforts as "warriors in the arena." click for more

• PICKET: Romney wins TWT/CPAC straw poll

  By Kerry Picket · Published February 11 2012, 04:20PM · Comment

  Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the Conservative Political Action Conference presidential straw poll on Saturday. The Fabrizio McLaughlin poll, which was sponsored by The Washington Times, showed that Senator Santorum came in a close second to Governor Romney's first place finish in the CPAC straw poll on Saturday. Governor Romney received 38 percent to Sen. Santorum's 31 percent. Former Speaker of The House Newt Gingrich came in third place and received 15 percent of the straw poll vote, while Rep. Ron Paul, Texas Republican, received 12 percent of CPAC attendee support. Dr. Paul was the winner of the CPAC straw poll in 2011.     click for more

• PICKET: New PPP poll shows Santorum leading nationally

  By Kerry Picket · Published February 11 2012, 03:47PM · Comment

  Public Policy Polling released a new poll on Saturday showing former Senator Rick Santorum leading all Republican candidates nationally. In fact, according to the PPP poll, Mr. Santorum is holding a "wide lead" among his nearest competitor, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney: "(Santorum is at) at 38% to 23% for Mitt Romney, 17% for Newt Gingrich, and 13% for Ron Paul." On Friday,  The Public Policy Polling company also tweeted out that Santorum was leading in Mr. Romney's own home state of Michigan: “Santorum topping Romney on the first night of our Michigan poll. This may be the biggest surge yet.” Santorum gave a rousing speech to Conservative Political Action Conference attendees on Friday. Many believe if Gov. Romney cannot win his home state of Michigan, he will have a difficult time finding anymore momentum among the Republican Party base.    click for more

• UPDATED: Rahm Emanuel's $400,000 autograph

  By Anneke E. Green · Published February 11 2012, 12:56PM · Comment

  

  UPDATE: Mr. Gottlieb emailed to let me know he does also collect stamps. Some people collect stamps. Alan Gottlieb, executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), collects checks from governments that try to curtail citizens’ right to bear arms. Last week, he received a check for $399,950 signed by Chicago mayor and former President Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel in payment for the cost of fighting the windy city’s handgun ban in Supreme Court case McDonald v. City of Chicago.  But this is just a start. “They’re going to owe us money as well for Ezell v. Chicago (a suit over Chicago’s gun range restrictions) so this isn’t the first check Rahm Emanuel is going to have to sign to us,” he gleefully told me on Thursday at CPAC. Mr. Gottlieb is looking forward to adding to his collection. His first check, a copy of which is ... click for more

• PICKET: Conservative activists to share D.C. park with occupy protesters for five weeks

  By Kerry Picket · Published February 11 2012, 10:13AM · Comment

  Conservatives are trying out a new strategy with occupy protesters. Rather than wait for demonstrators to show up at various right of center events, the National Center for Public Policy Research decided to obtain a five week permit that allows for the group to hold events every day in the eastern third of Freedom Plaza, another DC park where occupy protesters have set up shop, from February 12 until March 15 between the hours of 11: 00 AM and 2:00 PM. Freedom Plaza is located at 13th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The first event of many -- dubbed "Occupy Occupy D.C." -- will be the noontime rally on the 13th. DC's Metropolitan Police removed an occupy encampment from McPherson Square, located six blocks from Freedom Plaza, last week. "We have the same First Amendment rights as the Occupiers and any legitimate petitioner has for access to our nation's public sites. This ... click for more

• GABL: Coulter talks GOP strategy 2012 at CPAC

  By Marion Gabl · Published February 11 2012, 03:02AM · Comment

  Ann Coulter’s remarks on the second day of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) began by noting the incompetence of the Obama administration: the trillion-dollar stimulus, current unemployment rates, and Obamacare. But Coulter did more than just criticize the past four years of policy making. She urged Republicans to adopt a practical focus: identify the candidate and rhetoric that will win over the moderates and capture the presidency. Coulter noted that the 2012 election is perhaps the most important in our lifetime,saying that it is the only chance the American people will have to repeal Obamacare. Coulter’s understanding of the country’s entitlement complex is spot on. Coulter explained it was regrettable that Chris Christie decided not to run; “Like Reagan, he speaks the truth, directly, boldly like no one else will." She identified former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as the candidate most likely to beat President Obama. “Since last year, ... click for more

• PICKET: Conservatives blast White House from CPAC over contraception compromise

  By Kerry Picket · Published February 10 2012, 06:52PM · Comment

  The White House announced on Friday that rather than forcing religious employers to fund birth control, it would instead force insurance companies to offer the controversial contraception for free regardless of the type of employment. GOP politicians visiting the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) were not impressed with the Obama administration’s remarks on the issue. “Well I’m not sure it is a cave. It looks to me like they’ve taken the mandate off of the back of the Catholic Church and other faith organizations and put it over on to insurance companies and the Obama administration can regulate insurance companies,” Rep. Steve King, Iowa Republican, told me on Friday. “They can deny any insurance policy that they decide. They can also regulate companies out of business.” Congressman King further explained: “They can enforce it if it’s the Catholic Church saying, ‘We cannot. We will not obey this unjust law, but ... click for more

• GREEN: Gov. Mitt Romney "I'm only candidate who has never worked a day in Washington"

  By Anneke E. Green · Published February 10 2012, 01:21PM · Comment

  Governor Mitt Romney hit all the right conservative notes in his address to CPAC. Thanks, Al, for that warm introduction.  This year, here at CPAC, we’ve got a great crowd.  It’s been a great conference.  For that I suppose we should acknowledge President Obama, the conservative movement’s top recruiter.  Turns out, he really is a great community organizer.  Although, I don’t think we were the community he had in mind. Today we are poised for a great victory in November.  The pundits and the pollsters tell us we can win this election.  But we must tell the nation WHY we should win.  It is up to us to prove that we are truly ready to step forward and lead this country. This election is not just about getting more votes. Defeating Barack Obama is only one step toward our greater goal of saving America. Of course we can defeat Barack ... click for more

• GABL: Occupy documentary teased at CPAC

  By TWT Guest · Published February 10 2012, 03:20AM · Comment

  by Marion Gabl At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday, Conservative web activist Andrew Breitbart and the Citizens United Productions team previewed a trailer of an Occupy Wall Street documentary that will be released in April. Amid rumors that Occupiers might attempt a CPAC infiltration, hearts skipped a beat when Breitbart and fellows paraded into the hall masquerading as occupy protesters. But the only true occupiers present were jeered in film footage - knocking over bulky metal newspaper dispensers, defecating on police vehicles, and asserting themselves in other menacing ways. The Citizens United documentary tells a narrative – one that discloses a hidden ideological agenda that keeps the Occupy movement charged. Occupy’s purported purpose, Breitbart attests, is intentionally vague, allowing for a myriad of followers who can project on it what they like. "The same people who played up the artificial manufactured government manufactured Janet Napolitano Homeland Security, manufactured ... click for more

• GREEN: Senator Rand Paul asks why Obama hates rich AND poor

  By Anneke E. Green · Published February 10 2012, 01:04AM · Comment

  In his CPAC speech Thursday, Senator Rand Paul targeted President Obama's fiscal inconsistency. I have a question ... a question for the President ... Do you hate all rich people? or just those who aren't campaign contributors? The President sure seems to like George Kaiser, the twentieth richest man in America. President Obama likes him so much that he gave Kaiser's company -- Solyndra -- a half a billion, taxpayer dollars, which you may have heard got flushed down the drain. To get Mr. Kaiser his money, the President came up with a brilliant plan: Let's appoint people to approve the loans who are related to people who are going to get the loans. So Solyndra's attorney simply called up her husband who works for the Department of Energy to secure the half a billion dollar loan. What a great way to encourage campaign contributions, give away enormous taxpayer loans ... click for more

• GREEN: Congressman Paul Ryan "Obama presidency disappointing failure"

  By Anneke E. Green · Published February 9 2012, 10:10PM · Comment

  Congressman Paul Ryan pulled no punches in laying out the reasons for President Obama's "failure" in leadership. “America Deserves a Choice” Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin Conservative Political Action Convention – Washington, D.C. It’s getting late, so I’ll get right to the point: We only have nine months to defeat Barack Obama – nine months to reject his agenda of debt, doubt, and decline. And while defeating this President is necessary to getting America back on track, it is hardly sufficient.  Put simply, Americans deserve a choice – and it is our responsibility to offer them one. They deserve an opportunity, not just to divert from the President’s path to decline, but to affirm a reform agenda that restores our bedrock of founding principles.  Now is the time to promote American exceptionalism, remove barriers to upward mobility for those in need, and put the nation back on a path to ... click for more

• GREEN: Obama is no foreign policy success, says Congresswoman Michele Bachmann

  By Anneke E. Green · Published February 9 2012, 02:37PM · Comment

  Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's address to CPAC Running for President can be one series of humiliation after another but is also educational. I learned three important things in my run for the White House. First, I learned where John Wayne was born. Second, I learned what day Elvis was born.  And third I learned [pause] to never forget the three things you learn. This fall, President Obama will point to his success in foreign policy to make the case for his re-election. He’ll point to getting Bin Laden, to overthrowing Qadaffi, and to the Arab Spring as his foreign policy successes.  And while the world is better off without Bin Laden and Qadaffi, these tactical successes don’t compare to the mess he has made of the middle east and the strategic foreign policy blunders he has committed.   A President’s foreign policy changes the course of history. Jimmy Carter’s errors in Iran ... click for more