I really like Matt Strawn. I think up until about 1:30 am on January 4, he did a great job as Iowa GOP chairman. I hope we don’t regret his resignation. We could do a lot worse … After seeing how horrible a job the Nevada GOP did reporting their results, I’m thinking maybe we should ask Matt to reconsider…

From the names that have been floated for Strawn’s replacement, some could be good. Others, not so much … Right now the best-case scenario might be for interim chair Bill Schickel to take the gig full-time, if he wants it … And it’s important we find someone who wants it, but doesn’t want it too badly …

There are a lot of worst-case scenarios … I fully expect the Ronulans, who are trying to take over the State Central Committee, to push one of their own. If it has to be a Ronulan, I would prefer AJ Spiker … However, I would prefer a chairman who isn’t so blatantly in the bag for any candidate … In fact, I would prefer that all of the SCC remain neutral in primaries and caucuses. Their job is to help the Republican Party of Iowa. Period.

The more I learn about Iowa’s process for selecting delegates to the Republican national convention, the more unseemly it becomes … SCC member David Chung has a must-read piece written last year that breaks down the less-than-open process … There are also accusations flying around the ‘net this week from Tea Party activist Judd Saul against Iowa’s National Committeeman Steve Scheffler in regards to national delegates. Judd tells me others have evidence to back up these claims. When/if they produce it, TIR will present both sides of the story.

Kudos to WHO’s Simon Conway for picking up on the story about the apparent teaching of the advantages of communism over capitalism at Des Moines Roosevelt High School. The school’s principal provided a very weak defense. She must have learned that from the Roughriders football team … Thank you. I’ll be here all week. Try the veal …

The Blaze did further digging, and connected some dots to a possible Roosevelt High teacher named Patrick Brennan, who supports the Socialist Party, praises the Occupy idiots, and called Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker a “fascist bastard”, along with more vulgar names on his Facebook page … However, there is no Patrick Brennan listed on the Roosevelt staff contact page … Stay tuned.

I think Newt Gingrich has a bad case of sore loseritis. I’m a longtime admirer of the former Speaker and loved covering his events in Iowa. Now, he’s just a grumpy old man … Newt has gone more negative than anyone. Yes, Romney went first, but Gingrich has ventured way beyond the pale… First, the self-proclaimed “Reagan conservative” took up the Occupy idiot arguments against capitalism. Now, almost every word out of his mouth is an attack on Romney … The worst was the disgusting robo-call from Newt’s campaign trying to paint Romney as anti-Semitic, even referencing the Holocaust. Disgraceful … Newt’s tactics are becoming more like the Democrats everyday … This is from the guy who pledged repeatedly “to run a positive and solutions orientated campaign.” … His journey to the dark side is almost complete …

Newt also looked like a complete idiot when his campaign claimed Donald Trump was going to endorse him, but The Donald picked Romney the next day… This was worse, but not as enjoyable, than four years ago when Romney’s entire Iowa staff thought they locked up Steve King’s endorsement. MSDNC reported it. Then Congressman King backed Fred Thompson … Good times.

The Susan B. Komen organization provided a text book example of how not to handle a public relations problem. They shouldn’t be giving money to abortion mills anyway. That’s the primary point … Secondly, they could have cut off the Planned Parenthood funding in a much quieter manner. Instead, they got the entire abortion lobby and their enablers in the mainstream media attacking them. Then, they caved and turned the people who support life, and science, against them … Utter failure all the way around … I’ve given them money in the past. Never again.

Nice welcome back for Dr. Tom Davis at Carver-Hawkeye on Saturday. The Hawks are still paying the price for dumping the best basketball coach they ever had … I got to know Dr. Tom when producing his coaches’ show for Drake a few years ago. Everything you hear about him is true. Wonderful guy… One interesting aspect. Dr. Tom refused to do retakes. If the host stumbled or something went wrong, he didn’t care. He wanted to keep shooting and get the show over with. It wasn’t the most interesting TV show ever, but then again, most coaches’ shows are horrible.

Interestingly, the sports highlight of the day wasn’t the anniversary celebration at Iowa. It was the two buzzer beaters in the UNI-Creighton game. Nice win, Panthers. … Since Creighton is practically an Iowa team anyway, I think they should just move across the river to Council Bluffs and be done with all this Nebraska nonsense.

Finally, my Super Bowl prediction: 12 chicken wings, five slices of pizza and a couple adult beverages. That should tide me over for a little while … Oh, and the Giants win by six.

Until next time, wishing you love, peace and soul.

Photo by Dave Davidson, Prezography.com

By Tim Robertson

As another round of behind-closed-door talks aimed at creating a massive new trade pact for the Pacific Rim took place in a posh Beverly Hills hotel on Wednesday, labor, environmental and public health advocates picketed outside to demand a voice for working people. During a press event and rally, they called on negotiators to release the negotiating texts, allow for greater public input and to ultimately deliver a “fair deal or no deal” on the Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement. Another rally is planned for today at the University of California – San Diego, the site of more negotiations.

Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO:

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Romney was expected to do well in Nevada, thanks in part to the state’s Mormon population. He picked up over 51 percent of the vote in Nevada four years ago, when the contest was lightly regarded because it was held the same day as South Carolina’s primary. Nevada awards 28 delegates, on a proportional basis. 1144 delegates are required to clinch the GOP nomination.

Newt Gingrich’s held a press conference promising to stay in the race all the way to the national convention in Tampa. He immediately attacked Romney on various fronts, so reports that he would run a more positive campaign were erroneous.

TheIowaRepublican.com will update this article as more results roll in.

Maine Republicans also held caucuses today, but those meetings are spread out over a week, so we will not know the results until February 11. Romney and Ron Paul are the favorites there.

TheIowaRepublican.com’s Delegate Counter

* Most media outlets project all or almost all of Iowa’s delegates going to Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. TheIowaRepublican.com’s projection is based more closely on the percentage of votes the candidates received in the Iowa Caucus.

** Romney’s two delegates from South Carolina come from winning one of the state’s congressional districts.

The Nevada delegate allocation is based on early projections. TIR will update once the results become final.

Photo by Dave Davidson, Prezography.com

So, awhile after beginning my coverage of the Albany County Legislature, concern with the organization began growing as I, along with every member of the legislature, was contacted about the neglect of the staff and the children…and a vacationing Executive Director. After countless meetings, phone calls and emails…and the legislature’s continued ignorance of the issues, I thought it might be time to take a peek at the Project Strive Financials. (I should add, there still has been no record of the federally required 990 since 2008…click here to see the last online document.)

Guest OpEd: Obama Regulations are Killing U.S. Jobs by John E. Peterson

President Obama’s hostile attack on oil production and refining is accomplishing its defined goal of making oil more expensive so his green energy allies can compete.  And while it is a cold, hard fact that wind and solar energy will not replace a single barrel of oil in our transportation system, Obama’s policies are leading to skyrocketing prices at the pump and unaffordable heating costs for millions of Americans.  Nowhere is this more evident than here in the Northeast, where nearly eight million Americans still heat their homes with oil.

And by the time we’re ready to put the dark days of winter behind us and move into spring, thousands of workers in Eastern Pennsylvania will be heading into their own dark days as they face an uncertain economic future. Since the end of 2010, three oil refineries in the Philadelphia area have closed or face closure. Union officials have predicted the loss of more than 2,000 direct jobs and up to 20,000 indirect jobs that were supported by these refineries.

Those same union officials have been very active over the past few months lobbying federal officials in Washington to keep the refineries open. I commend them on their attempts – although late – to save the individuals and communities that stand to lose everything.

In addition to union activity, several liberal Members of Congress have expressed concern over the potential for refinery closures. Recently, my former colleagues Representatives Markey (D-MA), Waxman (D-CA) and Brady (D-PA) all derided refining companies for putting “profits over people.” This statement came in response to an Energy Information Administration analysis indicating the recent refinery closures could lead to price spikes and home heating oil shortages in the northeast, some in Congress are starting to get concerned about energy costs to American consumers.

If union members and some liberal Democrats are as concerned about energy supplies as their recent statements indicate, why did they support all-cost, no-benefit EPA regulations that have contributed to the closures in the first place?  Additionally, why did they oppose legislation that would have helped keep refineries open and support bills that make the plight of American refining worse?

According to a Department of Energy report issued in 2011, the compounded burden of federal regulations was a significant factor in the closure of 66 petroleum refineries in the U.S. over the past 20 years. Since 2008, the recession and refinery closures have led to 3,000 lost jobs at American refineries prior to the announcement of the northeast refinery closures. Now the employees of those refineries will be added to those devastating numbers.

Congress has considered legislation this year that would have at least taken a step to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, neither the unions nor my previously mentioned former colleagues supported these initiatives.  Specifically, these bills include:

The Energy Tax Prevention Act, which would have stopped EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations that the Agency itself has admitted will do absolutely nothing to reduce global GHG concentrations, and that Congressional hearings revealed are already costing refining and manufacturing jobs. Waxman, Markey and Brady all opposed this measure.

The McConnell Amendment, the Senate companion to the Energy Tax Prevention Act, would have taken similar steps toward saving refinery jobs.  For the record here in Pennsylvania, Senator Toomey supported the amendment and Senator Casey opposed it.

The TRAIN Act and the Kinzinger-Gonzalez Tier III Amendment were measures that would have simply required a realistic economic and jobs analysis of the blizzard of regulations facing refineries and other American industrial businesses. The amendment would have applied such analysis on a new EPA gasoline regulation that will have almost no environmental benefit, but which studies indicate could lead to an additional 4 to 7 refinery closures. Once again, Waxman, Markey, and Brady all opposed these measures.

Sadly, the trend of overregulation and congressional hostility to traditional energy sources will inevitably result in more jobs moving overseas to foreign competitors not strangled by our country’s regime of burdensome environmental and business regulations.  And that’s on top of the basic energy cost increase that will continue to hit American consumers who must endure the consequences of refinery closures like those in Pennsylvania.  In fact, the three recent closures account for nearly half of the Northeast’s total refining capacity.

Anyone interested in the best interests of American consumers, the survival of U.S. manufacturers, and the preservation of refinery jobs should oppose today’s overregulation. This would be the most effective action to keep down home heating oil and fuel costs, prevent refinery closures, and to stop our jobs from going overseas.

Related posts:

1. NFIB Requesting Sensible Regulations
2. Prevailing Wage Reform Possible in 2012

This afternoon, I listened as Ms. Shuaib, dressed in traditional Muslim garb told her praying supporters from the mosque that she would be preparing all of Dhoruba’s favorite foods when he arrived home that night…after feeding her son and inviting all her friends over to welcome him home, she planned on sending him to St. Thomas where he could hike and climb and work out all his energy. As a mother, my heart was breaking as the “word on the street” was not leaning in favor of a celebration at the Shuaib home.

I’ve spoken to the candidate for Albany County District Attorney, Lee Kindlon, as I’m not even going to pretend to understand the logic of the lesser charge. (While the DA doesn’t share much with me other than a nod or two, since he escorted the Rhodes family out of the back of the courtroom, I didn’t think he was going to share his insights with me.) I’m told Kindlon that “intent to kill” is not included in the charge of manslaughter one so, legally, the case was proven. It seems, however, that the “trip” pointed out in the DA’s summation may have been the nail in the coffin of Dhoruba’s freedom. While I had seen the video more times than I cared to, it was out of my view in the summations when ADA Rossi suddenly brought up a “clear as day trip.” Ya see, while I didn’t hear any sworn testimony about any such tripping, it appears that Rossi discovered a rather convincing trip on the video. That, and he also saw a knife in the hand of Dhoruba where I didn’t see one.

By Marty Omoto

The Brown Administration announced yesterday that it will implement short-term payment delays of about 2 weeks to Medi-Cal institutional providers including long term care facilities, adult day health centers, and home health agencies, for reimbursements paid during the month of March, due to a temporary severe cash flow shortage that California is facing in the coming weeks. Some institutional providers are exempt from this delay and payments to Medi-Cal non-institutional providers, such as doctors, will not be held.

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There were also three defendants, Ricky Thornton, Lewis Chaney and Jason Benn. Besides this trial being a bit of an oddity because there are three defendants hitched together, it is a bit more than odd because there was never a body nor a cause of death…heck, Swag could be on vacation for all we know.

I guess the DA is testing that theory s he keeps the three defendants waiting in jail while the direction to take is being decided. If you remember, the boys all rejected a plea deal insisting instead on a re-trial. I’ve confirmed that Mr. Mansion will be sticking with his defendant but I am currently unable to reach Trex…hey, she’s a busy lady!

Mr. Feit will not confirm his commitment at this moment but we all anxiously anticipate his decision. An intresting side note…Mr. Benn, Feit’s client, after being in jail for, what, a year, was in City Courth on February 1st for “petty” larceny…something about stealing a snow blower? I find so many ways to entertain myself while waiting on deliberating juries.

Click here if you want to hear about the proposed details or to find links to the rather interesting Swag Murder Trial.

By Zaineb Mohammed

Women are recovering from the recession at a slower rate than men according to a new report by the California Budget Project (CBP) published in partnership with the Women’s Foundation of California.

The report, titled, “Falling Behind: The Impact of the Great Recession and the Budget Crisis on California’s Women and Their Families, ” was released on Feb. 1.

In a telephone briefing with the media on Thursday, Jean Ross, CBP’s executive director commented, “The Great Recession hit single mothers particularly hard and contributed to a sharp increase in poverty among female-headed families with children.”

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