The Illinois Primary: Feeling confident that a win in Illinois will allow him to regain his aura of inevitability, Mitt Romney is shifting his argument back to President Obama, and away from the primary fight. Meanwhile Rick Santorum is raising the specter of a brokered convention to shatter Romney's aura of inevitability. A brokered convention may be the only thing to stop Romney: In his FiveThirtyEight blog in The New York Times, Nate Silver writes that Rick Santorum's chance of winning the GOP nomination may be slipping away. But keep in mind, every time Romney's been on the verge of putting this race away, he comes up short.
Here are Politico's five things to watch in Illinois tonight.
According to a new Quinnipiac poll, Virginia looks to be still in the Obama column. The President beats all of his Republican rivals, leading Mitt Romney by 8.
Today, House Republicans unveil their new budget. And Democrats are treating it like Christmas morning.
And finally, check out the Secret Service monikers Romney and Santorum chose for themselves.




Noticing on all and I generally do not say ALL MSM outlets this week when they are talking about the massacre of 16 individuals 9 of them children in Afghanistan they are always focused on the soldier who allegedly committed the massacre. They start by saying “there are no excuses” for the massacre..and then they spend the next 5 minutes bringing attention to numerous deployments, his character before he was in the service, dissapointments in his life etc etc. They all seem to be helping this man build an insanity plea.
NEVER EVER AND I MEAN NEVER EVER HAS ONE MSM HOST OR GUEST FOCUSED ON WHO THE PEOPLE AND THE CHILDREN ARE THAT THIS MAN ALLEGEDLY MASSACRED. NOT ONCE HAVE I HEARD A HOST OR GUEST FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE IN AFGHANISTAN WHO WERE KILLED. No pictures of the children massacred. Nothing TELLING. Not MSNBC’s Chris Matthews,Al Sharpton, not Ed Schultz, not Mika not Joe Scarborough, not Diane Rehm, not CNN, not Fox etc. NO one. Talk about dehumanization of these people by our military….dehumanization by the US media. Focus on the children killed, the adults, no names. Total absence
Anyone else who watches, listens, reads MSM outlets noticing this?
Kathleen-330322
.....dehumanization by the us media? Get a grip and grow up! What, do you think "War is hell" meant to be a bumper sticker?
There are a plenty of excuses!!!!!! It is simply kill or be killed-Simple. We helped that country against Soviet Union, getting rid of Taliban, in many way!!!
What have they done for us? HOW COME THEY ACTED 1000 TIMES MORE INDIGNANT WITH SOME KORAN BURNINGS THEN THIS TRAGIC INCIDENT?
HOW ABOUT THE DAILY ATROCITIES THEY COMMIT AGAINST THEY'RE OWN WOMEN AND GIRLS (MAYBE YOU ASPIRE TO MARRY YOUR RAPIST).
WAR IS NOT A FOOTBALL GAME WITH A REF'S, OR HONOR, 0R ANYTHING ELSE, EXCEPT KILL OR BE KILLED! AND YES THERE IS COLLARTIAL DAMAGE!
THINK ABOUT THAT! THESE PRIMITIVES CHOOSE TO LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE THEY DEHUMANIZATION OF THEIR SELVES, AS RITUALS!
I WOULD COMPARE THEIR MENTALITY TO THAT OF THE TEA PARTY, EXCEPT THEY ARE SMARTER THEN THE TEA-PARTY!!!!
SCREW YOUR SENSIBLILITIES!
Ricky "There are a plenty of excuses!!!!!! It is simply kill or be killed-Simple. We helped that country against Soviet Union, getting rid of Taliban, in many way!!!"
What a stupid statement. I am sure those 9 children in Afghanistan who were massacred posed a threat to Bales life. Bull@!$%#. And the "war is hell" mantra is no excuse for excusing any of this. And I have been one of the most persistent citizens pushing for close examination of these multiple deployments, better services for our Vets etc. I am one of the hundreds of thousands (millions) of folks who tried like hell to stop the invasion of Iraq based on lies as well as stood against the invasion of Afghanistan. Special forces would have been far more appropriate
Ricky go watch Winter Soldier testimonies. War crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan have been taking place for years. I have talked with many returning Vets. Hell Chris Matthews his MSNBC colleagues and most of the MSM ignored those hearings. Seldom have returning soldiers on their programs.
Last time any of them went into a facility to talk with Vets was I believe Chris Matthews who aired his program out of Walter Reed I think in 2005. Great reporting. But not much of that on Hardball since then.
Senator Sherrod Brown
Senator Sherrod Brown | Senator for Ohio: Press Releases ...
brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press_releases/release/?id...7531...Cached
You +1'd this publicly. Undo
5 days ago – Sherrod Brown - United States Senator for Ohio ... Despite New Law Requiring Limits on Excessive Oil Speculation by January 2011, No ...
Last night on your show during the conversation about oil production and prices Congressman Markey closing commentwas “Iran as they are rattling the markets? Blaming the saber rattling and oil prices rising on Iran and not Israel and the US’s persistent saber rattling.
Big time kiss on Israel’s ass by Congressman Markey. Pathetic
During a conversation on Chris Matthews Hardball last evening about oil prices and production Congressman Markey closing statement was blaming Iran for rising prices. He said "Iran as they rattle the markets" Essentially blaming Israel's endless saber rattling and threat to attack on Iran and oil speculation taking place as a result on Iran. Markey kissed Israel right on the ass last night.
On MSNBC's Rachel Maddows she did a one hour show on non proliferation and Mexico agreeing to take out all nuclear weapons grade fuel. Good show. But when Rachel and her team put up a map of countries with nuclear weapons Russia, China, US, France, UK, Israel, India, Pakistan and NOrth Korea. She and her team chose to put up Iran as having nuclear weapons on the map. Talk about irresponsible, inaccurate and dangerous. Fueling the endlessly repeated and unproven claims that Iran not only has a nuclear weapons plan but they have nuclear weapons. Rachel Maddow needs to be pounded for doing this. Shameful and dangerous
It does not matter if Iran has nuclear weapons. They are not the only ones. If they do, Rachel pointed out that we have not gone after any country that has NW so why go after Iran if they do. The program was not about who has NW or not. It was about nuclear facilities changing to a lower rate of uranium and how it was transported. She showed the countries that has nuclear weapons and those who do not. A sovereign country has the right to have nuclear facilities without having to be afraid of being invaded by unscrupulous countries that are so quick to send people to a war zone. Bush did that and then he joked about Iraq not having any WOMDs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKX6luiMINQ
Was it Albert Einstein who said: "I dont know how is WWlll will be fought, but WWlV will be fought with sticks and stones".
So, it does not matter. All it takes a big one to send this world back into the stone age.
A "Stone Age" would probably be a best-case scenario....
Americans cannot have it both ways. If we are against the Middle East, to be on the side of what ever Israel does then we have to be willing to take the heat. The Middle East are at this time at the top of the Oil Producing countries. So, they do not mind pricing it high. The share holders of oil refinery companies over here could give up the fat capital gains check for a couple of quarters maybe gas prices will go down. But these companies owe themselves to their share holders and they are not going to give up their moolah. Greediness is rampant. Between patriotism and money or profit, they will choose profits all the time.
Mr. Zimmerman, if it was not a shooting based on hate it is still a crime against a person that deserves the protection of the law and or payment for his life being taken away without reason. A crime is a crime whether there is a law of "stand your ground" or not. Zimmerman should be tried for the crime of killing someone who posed no threat to him. He could have stopped following the person and fantasizing about being an officer of the law in danger. Even if he is part Latino, it is still a crime, if it is not a hate crime.
If our American way of life fails a child, it fails us all.
-- Pearl S. Buck
Romney is not an economic light weight. He is a causer of poverty. Caused the poverty ot thousands while at BANE Capital. He does not apologize for making a lot of money and we would not want him to, but he should apologize about the way in which he made it.
“If I have to build a big company by mistreating other people then the Bible says WOE to me. I don't know what that is, but I don't want any of it.” Joyce Meyer
Santorum is a phony. He wants to run the country in the same way he ran his family. I wonder whether his children had the freedom of expression or if he would have disowned them if they went against his point of view. Romney, just want his fortune to stay in the family and if that means he has to get to the White House so the status quo stays the same, he will do it. The top 20% controlling ownership of 93% of the financial wealth and 80% working hard for a share of the remaining 7% of the financial wealth of the country. If hard work was a precursor of a good living waitresses, store clerks, janitors and nurser and teachers will be part of the 20%.
That guy in Illinois has his Bible principles are all screwed up. God does not care about America or any nations. He is a God of all the world. God loved the world so much He gave His only begotten SON so ALL THOSE PUTTING THEIR FAITH IN HIM WILL BE SAVED OR HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. But saved from what. Look into Mathew 25: 31-46, the requirements to go into His kingdom WHICH WILL BE EVERLASTING. Those are specific instructions and then Jesus say to "preach the Gospel" or "good news of the Kingdom". He did not say preach capitalism, or teach how to play the market, or how to make money, or to keep from aborting babies, or to keep women from having birth control, He spoke more about taking care of the poor than about politics. Those who put words in His mouth, words He never uttered with the purpose of misleading, are blaspheming.
Chris
I have extremely reliable sources who say Rich Santorum believes he has been ordained by God to become the President of the USA. My sources are current Pennsylvania Gov. officials as well as former government officials. In addition, others who are associates of Rich Santorum.
@sweetinHersheypa: Then he is another nut case just like Palin and Bachman. Bachman said the same thing and was taken out of the race. Which shows "God was not on her side", that is if God really cared about American politics. If you ask me that is a real blasphemy, to even assume that God forgets the whole world, to and for which He sent His beloved son to die. The next I will hear from these nuts is that God does not love all Americans but only the Baptists, or the Catholics, or Presbyterians and so on. Where is their intelligence?
While we're on the subject of fanatical religious beliefs, Sally Denton has the following article in Salon about an obscure "prophesy" often attributed to Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church who claimed to have found some ancient gold plates and "translated" them into The Book of Mormon.
//www.salon.com/2012/01/29/mitt_and_the_white_horse_prophecy/
Sally is a crime reporter who authored one of the many volumes on the "Mountain Meadows Massacre," one of two "black" episodes in LDS history (the Handcart Tragedy, detailed by David Roberts in Devil's Gate is the other). Her work is credible although this article could stand for some fact checking. I don't have the time or the inkling to wade through the comments, but I expect some will uncover what to me are obvious errors. That "seventh generation Mormon" should read fifth, assuming the "founding apostle" was Parley P. Pratt who was Romney's great-great grandfather. And even that founding apostle" is a bit of hyperbole; Pratt was an early convert, but the LDS Church had already been "organized" by that time.
As an overview of the "below-the-radar beliefs" in Mormonism, her article does offer a really useful example of the difficulty non-Mormons face in "assessing" just how obtuse those beliefs really are. The "black priesthood ban" is such an example, and LDS apostles and "general authorities" cited scripture and doctrinal beliefs as justification for its continued existence. Today, most of the evidence for those statements is being suppressed or discounted.
I'll have more to say throughout the campaign, and honest, there are Mormons every bit as weird as Bachmann or Palin. Glenn Beck is proof of that.
Santorum insists he has been ordained by God. Information gathered by top level government officails and others
Here is what I found in the Bible which is supposed to be the word of God and to which all Christians should adhere. About a king:
(Proverbs 29:14) 14 Where a king is judging the lowly ones in trueness, his throne will be firmly established for all time.
But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us.'' So Samuel prayed to the Lord.
And the Lord said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. (1 Sam 8.6-7)
Select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. (Exod 18.21, NIV)
A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness will prolong his days. (Pr 28.16)
If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked. (Pr 29.12, NIV)
And He (Jesus) spoke a parable to them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?" (Lk 6.39)
(1 John 5:19) . . ., but the whole world is lying in the [power of the] wicked one.
(Proverbs 29:4) 4 By justice a king makes a land keep standing, but a man out for bribes tears it down.
Afrommi " If they do, Rachel pointed out that we have not gone after any country that has NW so why go after Iran if they do. The program was not about who has NW or not. It was about nuclear facilities changing to a lower rate of uranium and how it was transported. She showed the countries that has nuclear weapons and those who do not."
Show us where she said anything about going after one nation and not another. I point out exactly what she said about Iran. My stong objection is that Rachel Maddow and her team purposely chose to put Iran up on a world map of nations that HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS. This is not a fact. Is terribly inaccurate, irresponsible and dangerous to do. My interpretation of what Rachel and her team chose to do by continually repeating unsubstantiated claims about Iran is to persuade the American people to support Israel attacking Iran and possibly being drug into such a military attack on Iran. This is not the first time Rachel Maddow has repeated unsubstantiated claims about Iran. Fueling the myths about Iran