PopSugar

Hug It Out: Top 20 Embraces From the Presidential Campaign

CitizenSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:02:43 -0800

The 2008 Presidential campaign is over, and while it wasn't all champagne kisses and caviar dreams, there were some pretty phenomenal embraces from the candidates and their families and friends. Some squeezes showed honest and sweet support, while others seemed to be manufactured for the camera. Here's a look back at the best of the best.

View Slideshow ›

Romney Wins Conservative Straw Poll - How Would You Vote?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:30:58 -0800

If you're still going through presidential election withdrawal, here's a little something to chew on before the 2012 campaign. Conservatives have picked Mitt Romney as their number one choice for Republican nominee in 2012. Mitt won 20 percent of the vote in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll.

Despite his apparent front-runner status, Mitt could still have a tough time during the Republican primaries. In the straw poll, Bobby Jindal wasn't far behind with 14 percent, and both Sarah Palin and Ron Paul came through with 13 percent of the votes. Newt Gingrich got 10 percent, and Mike Huckabee received 7 percent.

Pretending the election was today, which Republican would you like to see take on President Obama?

Obama Refuses Public Financing. What Does This Mean?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:37:29 -0700

I might be a special brand of crazy, but when I woke up to this news this morning, I started hyperventilating: Obama is not accepting public financing.

In shunning each tax-payer's $3 contribution we kick in when we pay our taxes, Obama is the first candidate to do so since Congress passed 1970s campaign finance laws after Watergate in the 1970s. McCain, the Republican nominee in waiting, has already taken steps to accept the public funds in the general election - matching funds that put a cap on how much each candidate can spend.

Obama said of his decision in a video released to supporters:

It's not an easy decision, and especially because I support a robust system of public financing of elections. But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system. And we've already seen that he's not going to stop the smears and attacks from his allies running so-called 527 groups, who will spend millions and millions of dollars in unlimited donations.

There are a million factors to consider:

Does the above statement mean he's going to police all 527s on his behalf, making sure they're silent and not "broken"?
Obama is the best fundraiser this side of an ATM - he's coaxed $265 million in donations so far. But do his supporters want him raising money? Or focusing on being the best, most prepared person for the job?
Last November he said this: “If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election." Is he going back on his word, or should "publicly financed" be in quotes with a winky-face after it?
The campaigns and respective fight/momentum each has had to work with has been vastly different. Obama's been in a grudge match to the death until two weeks ago. That will inspire the wallets of supporters much more than a candidate who's been assured for months, creating an inequity that starting the general election fresh, with public-financing, would solve.

Those are just some of the thoughts that are racing through my tending toward indignant head. What do you think? Is Obama making the best, fairest decision for his own campaign? Is public financing broken like he says? Or did he just cash a blank check made payable to "The Next President of the United States"?

Source

Don't Look Now! Both Campaigns Take Money From Foreigners

LibertySugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:00:02 -0700

Back when Elton John put on a concert for Hillary Clinton, we learned that presidential candidates cannot take money from foreign donors. But Barack Obama and John McCain won't let a silly rule get in the way of their fundraising momentum. A little investigating by the Associated Press revealed that both candidates accept overseas money, saving the crucial details for later.

Out of 123 overseas donors interviewed, only five said that either the McCain or Obama camp asked to see their passports as required by the FEC. In addition, three non-citizens had successfully donated to Obama. One Canadian Obama fan even wrote a note with his donation that said, "I am not an American citizen!" The contribution (and the note!) got entered into Obama's records. To see how other foreign money sneaks in, read more.

Other donors take a sneaky approach, entering fake passport numbers when they give online. After the AP uncovered the errors, the Obama campaign said it would return the money.

Hoping to ward off foreign influence, campaign finance laws allow candidates to accept contributions only from citizens or green card holders. But the sheer amount of donors makes it difficult for the candidates to follow the letter of that law. McCain's camp admits it's unfeasible to ask overseas web-donors to send copies of their passports. Should the official policy adopt the "honor system" routine practiced by both candidates?

Source

Front Page: Myanmar Accepts All Aid, McCain Rejects Hagee, Italy Goes Nuclear

CitizenSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 06:56:21 -0700

Myanmar Accepts All Aid: Myanmar's junta agreed this morning to admit cyclone aid workers "regardless of nationalities" said UN officials. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reached the agreement with junta supremo during mission to help 2.4 million left devastated by the storm three weeks ago. The move is positive, if not late. Disaster experts say that unless the doors to aid were opened, thousands more people would die of hunger and disease, adding to the nearly 134,000 reported killed or missing.
McCain Rejects Hagee: US presidential candidate John McCain rejected the backing of Rev. John Hagee after an audio recording of the preacher saying that God sent Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land was published on the Huffington Post. Rev Hagee then withdrew the endorsement, saying he had been misrepresented and did not want to figure in the presidential campaign. McCain faced criticism for seeking the endorsement - he's now described Hagee's comments as "crazy and unacceptable."
Italy Goes Nuclear: Italy announced yesterday its five-year plan includes resuming the building nuclear energy plants. A public referendum resoundingly banned nuclear power and deactivated all its reactors 20 years ago. Growing concern over energy contributed to the decision. The minister of economic development said, "by the end of this legislature we will put down the foundation stone for the construction in our country of a group of new-generation nuclear plants. An action plan to go back to nuclear power can not be delayed anymore. Only nuclear plants safely produce energy on a vast scale with competitive costs, respecting the environment.”

Troops Overseas Give More Money to Obama by 6 to 1

LibertySugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 06:00:32 -0700

US troops deployed overseas give six times as much money to Barack Obama, compared to John McCain. The Center for Responsive Politics, which conducted the giving-analysis, also made conclusions about the military's overall contribution pattern:

Despite McCain's status as a decorated veteran and a historically Republican bent among the military, members of the armed services overall - whether stationed overseas or at home - are also favoring Obama with their campaign contributions in 2008, by a $55,000 margin. Although 59 percent of federal contributions by military personnel has gone to Republicans this cycle, of money from the military to the presumed presidential nominees, 57 percent has gone to Obama.

Some military personnel might give to the Republicans but not McCain. The totals only include donations over $200, since smaller contributions are not reported to the FEC. Thus, the study explains that "these figures are likely to disproportionately represent the mood of officers, who have more disposable income to spend on politics than do the lower ranks. But because young people tend to be more liberal than their elders, the total dollar figures could lean even more in Obama's favor."

This month, John McCain spoke to disabled veterans in Las Vegas. To see some video of the speech, and to find out how the vets received McCain, read more.

The audience of vets gave the presumptive Republican nominee only a halfhearted reception. After the event the local paper interviewed 14 veterans. Only one said he is a certain McCain supporter. What do you think is going on here? Will the vets come out to support McCain with votes, instead of money?

Source

Sugar Shout Out: The Presidential Campaign's Top Embraces

PopSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:50:00 -0800

The top 20 embraces from the Presidential campaign
Burger King is going high-end
7 great Winter date ideas
Holiday photo style: trends for girls
geeksugar's top tech bargain buys!
Make sure to check out all the fab fashion from the CFDA Awards
Coveted crib: Andy's artful home
Which movie series and franchises should just end?
Nancy Kwan: an original bella donna
Which do you choose? The pie edition
Glenn Close honors Puppies Behind Bars
The "G" in Kenny G stands for golf - who knew!
5 carry-on items to prevent airport spending

State Ballot Initiatives Could Influence Presidential Campaign

LibertySugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:15:19 -0700

Controversial state law initiatives, set to appear on this November's ballot, could influence the debate throughout the presidential campaign, and provide national voters various litmus tests by which to judge the candidates. Research shows that initiatives do not increase turnout, but the measures are prompting Barack Obama and John McCain to take positions on hot-button issues like abortion, same-sex marriage, affirmative action, labor rights, and energy. Here is a roundup of some of the most divisive initiatives:

Abortion: South Dakota will consider banning abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or threats to a woman’s health. California will vote on parental notification (for the third time). Colorado voters will decide whether to define a “person” as “any human being from the moment of fertilization.”
Same-sex marriage: In Arizona, California, and Florida, voters will decide whether to amend the state constitutions and define marriage as between one man and one woman, like 27 other states have. McCain endorsed the proposal, while Obama says he opposes the ban.
Affirmative Action: Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska will consider banning affirmative action, as California, Michigan and Washington have. McCain supports the ban, although in 1998 he opposed something similar. Obama opposes a ban.

To find out what voters will decide about labor and energy, read more.

Labor: Colorado will decide whether to prohibit employers from requiring union membership or union dues. In South Dakota, a measure would prohibit unions from making political contributions if they have agreements with state or local governments. In Ohio, voters will decide whether to require companies with over 50 workers to provide seven paid sick days. Obama’s platform endorses a similar plan for sick leave, while McCain has criticized the idea. Massachusetts's ballot has an initiative to abolish the state income tax.
Energy: A California measure would require utilities to generate 20 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2010, increasing to 40 percent in 2020 and 50 percent by 2025.

Do you think ballot initiatives are the best way for activists to call attention to their causes?

Source

Obama's Ass Got a Lot of Grabs on the Campaign Trail

TresSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Perhaps President Obama wasn't checking out that woman's ass back in July after all, because he knows firsthand how annoying it is to be treated like a piece of meat.

According to a new book by Christopher Andersen, Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage, Barack had to deal with women who would "grasp him firmly by the derriere - and sometimes try to hold on." Yikes!

So what did the soon-to-be first family make of this? The book reports that Barack said:

"Jesus, I wish they'd stop grabbing my ass."

And what did Michelle think? She supposedly said:

"I want to tell these women, 'Back off. Get a life.' It's just embarrassing, that's all."

I guess some women can't resist a little piece of presidential booty!

Obama Campaign Takes Money Now, Asks Questions Later

CitizenSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:00:31 -0700

Is Obama's campaign piggy bank a murky shade of sneakiness? By allowing donors to use prepaid credit cards, which are for the most part untraceable, the Obama campaign could be allowing donors to dodge limits or hide a donor's identity. That combined with a huge chunk of donations being given online, basic security measures to stop illegal or anonymous money from hitting the campaign account are nonexistent. The campaign's solution is to take the money now, and study the list for illegal donations or discrepancies later.

The campaign says the FEC rules don't require screening of the money before it's been accepted, but their methods seem problematic. Recent filings have included donations from the likes of "Doodad Pro." The biggest problem seems to be the prepaid cards, which makes it impossible to check for any of the identity or contribution limits, as well as whether the money is coming from a foreign source, a problem they've faced all campaign. An investigation of the money situation was prompted in part by a $174,800 donation from one person listed in a FEC report - the limit is $2,300. Problematic in itself, but made worse by the fact that the person didn't even do it - someone else was using her name.

This can't be the campaign finance reform Obama's in favor of - can it?

Source