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Politics

david jolly

Republican Representative David Jolly, congressman from Florida’s 13th Congressional District, who defeated Alex Sink.

David Jolly, who won in an upset in the FL-13 special election, is now securely the favorite to win again in November. Oddly enough, it was just a few short months ago that pundits said Democrats were favored to grab the late Bill Young’s seat, pundits except for Richard D. Baris, the People’s Pundit. But that’s what happens sometimes when your party Establishment shuts down all debate.

After failing to defeat Rep. David Jolly, Democrat Alex Sink refused Establishment pressure to run again in November, leaving Democrats with just one candidate declared. Local NAACP chapter President Manuel Sykes, a Democrat, thought he had the road paved.

Think again.

As usual, Democrats only want the vote the NAACP can help produce, not the actual leadership the NAACP produces for their congressional delegation. Democratic Party heads pushed Sykes out of the race. Why? To help independent Ed Jany, who was really a Republican until he turned Democrat posing as an independent. Truly, he didn’t have much of a choice if he wanted to run. Jany wasn’t registered long enough to meet the rules, the same kind of rules the left accused the Republican Party of establishing to depress the insurgent candidates.

Ironic, isn’t it?

Anyway, with Democratic bench now completely empty, Jany announced Tuesday he is completely out, leaving Jolly to essentially run unopposed.

“Obviously, he is now favored to easily hold on to the district for the Republicans,” said senior political analyst of People’s Pundit Daily, Richard D. Baris. “They are always the party of machine politics, but Democrats really stepped in it this time.”

Of course, this raising questions about why Jany really bowed out anyway. In a statement to The Tampa Bay Times, he said he “wrongly assumed” he could handle the campaign on top of his professional workload.

“I smell a familiar smell,” Baris said. “It’s the smell of a politician sweating because he knew he didn’t have any better of a chance than Sink did. The national political environment is likely to be even less favorable than it was during the early part of the year.”

David Jolly, who won in an upset

Economy

import export

(Photo: REUTERS)

U.S. import prices unexpectedly fell in April as the cost of food and fuels declined, suggesting imported inflation may not be as concerning as domestic inflation.

The broad S&P passed the 1900 mark for the first time ever before settling back down after data from the Labor Department said on Tuesday import prices fell 0.4 percent last month. The same measurement had increased by 0.4 percent in March and April’s decline in import prices was the first since November.

Economists polled by Reuters had been expecting import prices to rise by 0.3 percent. Overall, in the 12 months through April, import prices fell by a similar 0.3 percent point.

With a lack of imported inflation, the U.S. central bank will feel vindicated for cutting overnight interest rates to a record low of zero to 0.25 percent in December 2008. The Fed is scaling back the amount of monthly quantitative easing, or the money printing to buy bonds with the hope to pressure investment into equities. However, they have abandoned their previously statement mark, which was unemployment, when the number fell due to the large amount of American leaving the workforce, and not because of job creation.

Last month, Americans welcomed the news that imported food prices actually fell 0.7 percent after skyrocketing 3.4 percent in the month of March. Overall, the price of pork, gasoline, utilities and other everyday products and needs have reached record highs under the Obama administration. Yet, in the past month, imported fuel prices dropped 1.7 percent after rising 0.6 percent again in March.

Natural gas prices saw their largest fall since July of 2013, down 18.5 percent in April.

Import prices — excluding food and fuels — still crept up 0.1 percent after increasing by the same amount in the month of March.

The Labor Department report also showed export prices fell 1.0 percent in April, which was the biggest drop since June of 2012. In March, it gained by 1 percent. In the 12 months through April, export prices crept up 0.1 percent.

U.S. import prices unexpectedly fell in April

Economy

retail sales

(Photo: REUTERS)

U.S. retail sales hardly even rose in the month of April and consumer spending actually fell, proving that the blaming of cold weather for the poor economy was bunk. The new data will certainly dash hopes of a sharp turn around in economic growth in the second quarter.

The U.S. economy was initially reported to have grown by just .1 percent in the first quarter, but recent data on the trade deficit showed the government’s adjustments were off; the economy actually contracted.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday retail sales edged up by just 0.1 percent in the month of April, with receipts for furniture, electronic abd appliance stores, restaurants, bars and online retailers all showing declines.

Retail sales, which account for a third of consumer spending, rose by a revised 1.5 percent in the month of March, when economists were also scapegoating the cold winter weather. That was the largest increase since March of 2010.

Economists polled by Reuters weren’t expecting even modest growth , as they had forecast sales would increase by 0.4 percent last month after a previously reported 1.2 percent surge in March.

So-called core sales, which exclude automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, fell by 0.1 percent after a revised 1.3 percent increase in March. The measurement supposedly displays the closest relationship with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product.

Core retail sales had previously been reported to have risen 0.8 percent in March, but that wasn’t the case.

Last month, retail sales were weighed down by a 2.3 percent drop in receipts at electronics and appliance stores, while sales at furniture stores fell 0.6 percent and receipts at food services and drinking places dropped 0.9 percent.

Sales at non-store retailers, which include online sales, also fell by a 0.9 percent-point.

U.S. retail sales hardly even rose in

Economy, Markets

att

AT&T has been on the hunt for a satellite company, and now may have found one.

AT&T (NYSE:ATT.CL) is reportedly closer than analysts previously thought to hammering out a deal to acquire satellite television company DirecTV (NASDAQ:DTV). According to the Wall Street Journal, we may just see the acquisition come to fruition in the next two weeks.

The Wall Street newspaper claimed two credible sources told them that the two companies are discussing a deal that would include both cash and stock.

Spokesmen for AT&T and DirecTV declined to comment on the report, but it is no secret that AT&T has been on the hunt for a satellite television company for a while.

AT&T is expected to pay a premium on DirecTV’s stock, which just closed at $88.20 today and was up in extended trading. Rumors of the possible acquisition spread during after-hour trading. Shares of AT&T, as well, were up slightly in after-hours trading.

DirecTV has reportedly hired Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) to advise it on the deal, though People’s Pundit Daily has not confirmed the report.

The latest deal represents a transition in the cable television and cable infrastructure sectors, which are currently consolidating. The beginning of the shift was marked by the proposed merger of Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC).

AT&T has a current market value of nearly $185 billion, while DirecTV is estimated to be valued at $45 billion.

AT&T (T) is reportedly closer than analysts

Policy

obama immigration policy inflated deportation numbers immigration

The Obama administration has released thousands of illegal immigrants that were also convicted criminals, including murderers and convicted sexual offenders.

The false outrage from many liberal Hispanics, who live by the mantra “you can’t court us and deport us,” is a complete fraud according to a new report. In reality, the Obama administration has released thousands of illegal immigrants that were also convicted criminals, including murderers and convicted sexual offenders.

According to statistics in a new report released Monday from the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington-based advocacy group, in 2013 alone 36,007 “convicted criminal aliens” were released while they awaited phony deportation proceedings, a practice that has become widespread under the Obama administration.

The report highlighted that many of these criminals are multiple offenders, not so-called “dreamers” or “undocumented” immigrants breaking the law as “an act of love.” The group was responsible for more than 88,000 convictions. That’s an average of roughly 2.5 criminal offenses per rap sheet.

Democrats are attempting to downplay the severity of the potential impact releasing these criminals back in to American society may have, arguing that the majority of these individuals were convicted on lower-level or nonviolent offenses, including auto theft, drunk-driving and various drug charges. While that it is true that the majority did involve so-called “minor” crimes, though its unclear how minor a drunk-driving charge is when it very well may result in vehicular homicide, or even an accident with someone who doesn’t have a license to drive let alone insurance, the fact is that many were involved in heinous acts. Further, victims, victims’ families and other opponents of Obama’s lax immigration policy say that no crime committed by someone who shouldn’t even be here is acceptable.

According to the report, the 88,000 convictions included:

  • 193 homicide convictions
  • 426 sexual assault convictions
  • 303 kidnapping convictions
  • Over 1,000 aggravated assault convictions

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, said she was “astonished” by the figures in a statement earlier today.

The Department of Homeland Security is currently reviewing deportation policies with the aim to relax them even further. However, Vaughan said “further relaxation of enforcement” is “hard to justify” when one looks at the data.

“Congress should resist further action on immigration reform until the public can be assured that enforcement is more robust and that ICE can better deal with its criminal alien caseload without setting them free in our communities,” she said.

ICE claimed that many of the released criminals are “under restrictions such as GPS monitoring, telephone monitoring, supervision, or surety bond.” However, the statement also passed the buck on to the policy set by the Obama administration, citing how the agency is required by law to release some of those individuals. Except, federal law doesn’t require ICE to do any such thing. Executive orders signed by the president and judicial activism by liberal judges, which even liberal law professor Jonathan Turley testified amounts to a gross abuse of the Constitution, are unilaterally overriding existing federal law.

“The releases required by court decisions account for a disproportionate number of the serious crimes listed in the report. For example, mandatory releases account for over 75 percent of the homicides listed,” ICE said in an email.

It is unclear whether or not the agency as a whole agrees or disagrees with the administration’s lack of reverence for our constitutional system, but former INS Special Agent Michael Cutler has been a vocal critic of the Obama immigration policy. In an interview with conservative talk radio host, Don Smith, which can be heard below, Cutler explained the process by which the Obama administration inflates deportation numbers.

The individuals in question were reportedly released on bond, or on parole or other programs mean to serve as alternatives to detention while awaiting processing.

A previous report released by the Center for Immigration Studies more than a month ago found that ICE agents were simply deciding — as opposed to following orders — not to deport thousands of “criminal aliens.” These numbers are in addition to the cases detailed in the latest study.

According to the previous report, ICE released 68,000 foreign nationals in 2013 who either had criminal convictions or charges against them.

Former INS Special Agent Michael Cutler talks immigration on The Don Smith Show

The false outrage from many liberal Hispanics,

Politics

Ben Sasse Nebraska Senate Race

Ben Sasse (from left to right), was joined by Sarah Palin, Sens. Ted Cruz (TX) and Mike Lee (UT) at a rally to support the conservative candidate in the Nebraska Republican Senate primary Tuesday. Regardless, the Nebraska Senate race is rated “Safe Republican” on PPD’s 2014 Senate Map Predictions.

With less than 12 hours before the polls open in the Nebraska Senate primary, Ben Sasse is the front-runner in what appears to be a tightening contest. However, though all campaigns agree that Omaha Bank President Sid Dinsdale’s late surge is real, PPD now projects Ben Sasse will be the Republican nominee in November’s Nebraska Senate race.

For most of the race, Sasse and former Republican State Treasurer Shane Osborn, the latter of the two once the front-runner in the eyes of many, have all but ignored Sid Dindale as they clobbered each other. Ben Sasse enjoyed the backing of several prominent conservative groups, including the Club for Growth, Senate Conservatives Fund, the Madison Project and FreedomWorks. The latter, FreedomWorks, initially endorsed Osborne, but retracted their endorsement back on March 30 and opted instead to back Sasse.

“Both Osborn and Sasse are great people, and this was not a decision taken lightly,” FreedomWorks president Matt Kibbe wrote in an email to PPD back in April.

“The question at the heart of this decision is, who would caucus with the Freedom Caucus, and who would fall in line with the establishment? At this point, it is clear that Shane Osborn formed allegiances with Mitch McConnell and the K Street lobbying class.”

In the end, we believe that it will be the support from these groups will put Sasse over the top. The Madison Group responded to the late challenge with a 60-second radio ad condemning Dinsdale as a “counterfeit conservative.” The Club for Growth coughed up six-figures for a television ad campaign targeting Dinsdale.

It’s working, and it’s a testament to the problem conservatives have when it comes to getting behind a single insurgent candidate and a coherent unified message. Anti-establishment candidates have not performed well this election cycle, despite the anti-incumbent and anti-establishment sentiment. Yet in the Nebraska Senate race they really pulled it together. This allowed Sasse to effectively get his message across to the voters.

Nebraska Republican primary voters have consistently cited without prompt — or, indicated when prompted — how Sasse’s health care experience made him uniquely qualified to handle the issue that fires them up the most — ObamaCare. While most of the scant polling has shown a relatively tight contest — save for the latest Magellan Strategies survey — Sasse had begun to poll better than the other hopefuls in the general election contest among Republicans, suggesting a lean in his direction among the electorate.

Aside from a brief round of bad press singling out the minority leader, the fight between the Establishment Republicans and the anti-Establishment conservatives may have been overblown. Though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may or may not personally favor Osborne, the NRSC — National Republican Senatorial Committee — will “plan to support the eventual nominee,” Bill Murphy from the NRSC wrote us in an email.

“Our only role in the Nebraska Senate race is to be a resource for ALL of the candidates,” he said in an email to PPD.

Dinsdale has recently loaned himself $1 million in an effort to combat Sasse and continue his late surge, but we simply believe it’s too late. As previously state, because of the fundamentals — mainly ObamaCare remaining the number one issue in the Republican Party — as well as Sasse’s consistently favorable numbers, we are now projecting Ben Sasse is likely to be the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. We could very well have misjudged this race, but we haven’t misjudged one yet this cycle, including the special election in FL-13 that contradicted other pundits who believed Alex Sink would be victorious.

The Nebraska Senate race is rated “Safe Republican” on People Pundit Daily’s 2014 Senate Map Predictions.

Poll Date Sample Sasse Dinsdale Osborn Spread
PPD Average 4/16 – 5/8 — 38 24 20 Sasse +14
Magellan Strategies (R) 5/8 – 5/8 525 LV 38 24 20 Sasse +14
Magellan Strategies (R) 5/5 – 5/6 656 LV 33 27 20 Sasse +6
NSON Opinion Strategy 4/16 – 4/20 400 LV 29 13 27 Sasse +2
Harper (R) 2/3 – 2/4 565 LV 29 13 30 Osborn +1

With less than 12 hours to go

Politics

nj prayer controversy

Federal officials have already refused to abide by the Supreme Court ruling, which found opening prayer bans are unconstitutional.

Apparently federal officials missed the memo that the Supreme Court ruled their attempts to implement opening prayers bans are unconstitutional.

The Mayor of Carteret, New Jersey, Mayor Dan Reiman canceled the town’s naturalization ceremony, which was intended celebrate the new citizenship of 30 people, after employees of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not allow the event to begin with a prayer.

“I told them (employees of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) they’re no longer allowed to use city hall,” he said.

According to the Star-Ledger, Carteret Mayor Daniel Reiman had assured U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials that the prayer leading Saturday’s ceremony would be nondenominational.

“They refused to budge on that,” Mayor Reiman said.

The Supreme Court just ruled on May 5 that opening prayer at town council meetings do not violate the Constitution even if they routinely stress Christianity. The ruling was not only a victory for the town of Greece, N.Y., which is located just outside of Rochester, but Americans of faith, in general.

Yet, ironically, Mayor Reiman and immigration officials both cited the high court’s opinion for their actions.

Reiman, who was elected to office in 2002, said the court’s decision is proof that he should be able to open any event with a prayer. He issued a statement Friday saying it is borough policy to open all borough events with a prayer and a moment of silence.

The citizenship agency argued that the ruling did not mandate federal agencies to include prayers in ceremonies. It cherry-picked a small excerpt of the justices’ ruling that referred to the “Pledge of Allegiance” as one of the traditions that “lend gravity to public proceedings.”

Katie Tichacek Kaplan, a spokeswoman for the immigration agency, told the Associated Press that it’s a long-standing policy to make sure naturalization ceremonies are “conducted in a meaningful manner which is welcoming and inclusive and excludes political, commercial and religious statements.”

But that is not completely in line with precedent relied upon by the justices in their ruling, nor an accurate depiction of the language written in the high court’s decision. The entire idea of the First Amendment protection is to defer these decisions to local officials, just as long as they are rooted in long-standing tradition.

“The prayer opportunity is evaluated against the backdrop of a historical practice showing that prayer has become part of the Nation’s heritage and tradition,” the majority wrote in the opinion. “It is presumed that the reasonable observer is acquainted with this tradition and understands that its purposes are to lend gravity to public proceedings and to acknowledge the place religion holds in the lives of many private citizens.”

Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Church explaining his proper role as President, wrote:

In matters of religion, I have considered that its free exercise is placed by the Constitution independent of the powers of the general [federal] government. I have therefore undertaken on no occasion to prescribe the religious exercises suited to it; but have left them, as the Constitution found them, under the direction and discipline of state or church authorities acknowledged by the several religious societies.

In other words, local officials and states hold the power to determine was will be their public practices, but this would be later distorted to interpret and “wall of separation” between church and state. However, the high court in the 1980s and now in the recent decision has clarified this disagreement.

Reiman said now and at the time that the prayer was and would have been non-denominational. He added that the immigration service can “host its godless ceremony someplace else.”

The event was subsequently moved to Newark, New Jersey, a liberal bastion.

Reiman cited the CIS website, which states that new citizens must recite an oath that contains the phrase, “so help me God,” as well as the “Pledge of Allegiance,” which includes the phrase “under God.”

The website says that reciting the pledge and oath completes the process of becoming a U.S. citizen.

Click to read the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America.

Apparently federal officials missed the memo that

Opinion, Video


Judge Jeanine Pirro, host of “Justice,” laid out the case Saturday for why she thinks Democrats must be afraid of something big being discovered by the select committee on Benghazi. For Democrats to oppose the idea of talking about something other than the ObamaCare debacle, “something that affects the health and pocketbook of literally millions of Americans today, tells me that the Democrats have something to hide.”

Pirro argued that the left could do real political damage to the Republican Party if the hearings turned up nothing new on the Benghazi scandal, that is, if there was indeed no scandal. Further, attention would be diverted away from what is likely to cost the party control of the Senate in November. “Hearings would obscure the Democrats’ biggest vulnerability in 2013, ObamaCare,” she added.

“Why would they object? What do they have to lose? Considering that the president’s health care law cost him his favorability ratings and his approval ratings, something Democrats know is a liability in the upcoming midterm elections, her skepticism is expected. In fact, for Pirro, it’s common sense.

“It’s a win-win for them.”

She went on to rip Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, who she says should be “indicted for just showing up, because you knows he has every intention to lie.”

Friday the House voted to establish a select committee to investigate the attack on Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012. Newly released emails show White House advisor Ben Rhodes played a pivotal role in the prepping former UN Ambassador Susan Rice for the Sunday talk shows. Rice went on to spout what we now know to have been fictitious talking points designed to make President Obama look good during the 2012 presidential campaign.

Four Americans died in the Benghazi attack, the family members of which were lied to by President Obama, then-Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and various other members of the Obama administration.

Judge Jeanine Pirro, host of "Justice," laid

Polls

rand paul and hillary clinton

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (left) and Hillary Clinton (right). (Photo: Getty)

The libertarian-leaning Kentucky senator has been openly vocal and critical of his party when it comes to expanded its appeal nationwide. Despite Establishment claims he unelectable, according to the latest polling data Senator Rand Paul leads Hillary Clinton in yet another pivotal battleground state, while the supposedly more electable Jeb Bush trails by a whopping 10 points.

According to the annual “State of the State” poll conducted by Dartmouth College, Rand Paul leads Hillary Clinton 38 to 36 percent. As stated, Establishment favorite and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush trailed Hillary Clinton by ten points, 42 to 32 percent. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has seemingly rebounded and is now back in striking distance of the former Sec. of State 37 to 34 percent. In the last Dartmouth survey Clinton earned 37.1 percent, while Christie received 32.3 percent support.

If Republicans want to win the White House, then they must nominate a candidate who can win back former red states, which only Rand Paul seems capable of doing. We recently reported on a Quinnipiac University survey showing Rand Paul, alone, defeating Hillary Clinton in the battleground state of Colorado. Stronger than usual support among young and independent voters gives Paul a 5-point edge of Clinton.

But when we look at respondents’ answers on the issues, it appears the Republican platform is a more natural fit for the state. Voters in New Hampshire oppose “a pathway to citizenship” in its current form passed by the Senate by 43.6 to 34.1 percent. Voters also support voter ID laws by a whopping 74.8 percent margin. Whether or not future Republican candidates can sell the party platform, is another question.

Republicans, in general, have an opportunity to make their argument on the issue of the economy. In the poll there wasn’t a single respondent who said the national economy was “excellent,” and only 16 percent said it was “good.” The vast majority — 45 percent and 37 percent — said that the economy was “fair” and “poor,” respectively.

In a head-to-head matchup against Scott Brown, who announced his bid in early April, 39.2 percent of New Hampshire voters would vote for incumbent Senator Jeane Shaheen, while 35.7 percent would support Scott Brown and and 25.2 percent remaining undecided. The latest numbers represent a serious danger sign for Shaheen, who has seen here favorables tank since the last Dartmouth poll.

“Shaheen’s favorability can be contrasted with the favorability ratings of Senator Kelly Ayotte, who received both a higher favorability rating and a much lower unfavorable rating,” the report stated. Her troubles are likely due to her steadfast support of the president’s signature health care law.

Overall, just 34.1 percent of respondents said they approved of the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, while 57.5 percent disapproved and 8.4 percent were unsure. When asked, 46 percent said they were unaffected by the law, but 46 percent also said it had a negative impact. New Hampshire was cited by opponents as one of the worst examples of the law in practice, with networks narrowing to the point only one hospital will be covered in the network when the law is implemented.

According to the annual "State of the

Politics, Video

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, now host of the “Huckabee Show” on Fox News, was among the first to flat-out say the Obama administration lied to the American people regarding the Benghazi terror attack on Sept. 11, 2012. Now, the House voted Friday to establishment a select committee to investigate what is becoming known as the Benghazi cover-up, after newly emails showed White House advisor Ben Rhodes played a pivotal role in prepping former UN Ambassador Susan Rice for her infamous appearances on the Sunday shows.

“It’s been two years,” Huckabee said, “and I have never had to recant my statement.”

But even caught with its pants down the White House continued to play the American people for fools,” he added, citing the “White House press hack, Jay Carney,” who actually attempted to convince ABC’s Jon Karl that the emails — which he was CC’ed on — were not about Benghazi, but the greater “protests” in the region.

“This was directly relevant, so why did it take a court case to get the administration to release these emails,” Karl asked. “Why was this even classified?”

“It’s not just Barack Obama who — as Ricky Ricardo would say — has some splain’in to do,” Huckabee joked. “But should Hillary Clinton announce her candidacy, she’s gonna some es-plain’in to do.”

Huckabee reminded everyone of the “3 o’clock phone call” ad Hillary aired while running against now-President Barack Obama. But it wasn’t a middle-of-the-night phone call, it was 5:00 PM.

“I promised Charles Woods, the father of Tyrone Woods, that I would find the truth about what happened to his son. I keep a photo of Ty in my office,” he added. “And that photo isn’t coming down until the truth does.”

The former Arkansas governor, who eventually cleaned up Clinton’s old stomping ground, served notice to the former Secretary of State. “The four murdered Americans couldn’t run and hide that night, and Hillary, neither can you.”

Host of the Huckabee Show on Fox

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