Trump Trumping?

Donald Trump is causing indecisive turmoil within the 2012 election scene. Recent polls show data that swings either way for the favor of Trump. Politico reports:

Donald Trump might be a factor in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, but it’s not clear that he’d pull support away from one candidate more than any other, a new poll suggests.

In fifth place, behind former Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, who would get the support of 19 percent and 18 percent of Republicans, respectively. Newt Gingrich ranked fourth in the poll, getting the support of 14 percent of those surveyed, followed by former Sarah Palin, at 12 percent. Ron Paul is sixth after Trump at eight percent in the poll.

Without Trump included in the pool of candidates, all the other top GOP hopefuls do a bit better. Huckabee would get the support of 21 percent of Republicans, while Romney would get the support of 19 percent. Support for Gingrich and Palin would be one percentage point higher for both, at 15 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

Is it possible that Trump could bring back the Palin effect? Could he muster enough crazed fans to distract enough voters away from the Republican candidates? These polls indicate that this is a possibility. Which is somewhat disturbing. Although Trump is the business mogul, that is not necessarily the trait a president or any political leader would want to be prominent.

Stopgap Predicted to Pass This Week

Politico

Senate leaders from both parties predicted Tuesday that a three-week stopgap budget measure will pass this week, making the specter of an imminent government shutdown unlikely.

“We’re anxious to get this over here, get this out of here, and move on to a long-term CR,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to reporters.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed the same. “I think we’ll pass the short-term C.R. later in the week, one that clears the House tonight,” said McConnell. “And in all likelihood, as House Republican leadership has indicated, we’ll then negotiate a final agreement for the balance of this fiscal year."

Half and Half GOP

Politico

The White House unsurprisingly welcomed the House's passage of a three-week spending bill on Tuesday, while arguing that the temporary measures to stave off a government shutdown can't be used excessively.

Somewhat defiantly, press secretary Jay Carney repeated in a statement that the White House has "met Republicans halfway" in budget negotiations, a claim the GOP has disputed wildly.

President Obama "urges" the Senate to pass the House's spending bill, Carney said in the statement. 

"The short-term funding bill passed in the House of Representatives today gives Congress some breathing room to find consensus on a long-term measure that funds the government through the end of the fiscal year. The President urges the Senate to pass this bill to avoid a government shutdown that would be harmful to our economic recovery. But the President has been clear: with the wide range of issues facing our nation, we cannot keep funding the government in two or three week increments. It is time for us to come together, find common ground and resolve this issue in a sensible way. There is no disagreement on whether to cut spending to put us on a path to live within our means, but we can’t sacrifice critical investments that will help us out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build our global competitors to win the future. We have already met Republicans halfway, and we are optimistic that Congress can get this done."

Republicans Poising for a Hit

As Wisconsin Unions and the government duke it out, the last few groups join sides of this polarized issue. This time, facing high opposition, a conservative group under the name of GOPAC joins the side of the Republican governor to promote the death of unions within the state. Politico reports: 

The fight for control of the Wisconsin state Senate looks increasingly like a toss-up, as national groups continue gearing up for the recall campaign triggered by anti-union legislation passed last week. 

GOPAC has bought airtime to defend Republican state Sen. Randy Hopper for his vote to scale back collective bargaining rights for most government workers. 

 “Amid all the shouting and contention in Madison, let’s remember these facts: State government is broke. Wisconsin has lost over 150,000 jobs,” says the ad. “Without these reforms, taxes will go up and more jobs will be lost."

The Republicans should prepare to take a blow on the chin for this in the next elections. Democrats and 'undecideds' will decidedly go against the now 'anti-union' right. If the Republicans plan to run for re-election in the state of Wisconsin, they are clearly delusional.

 Michelle Bachmann does not cease to spill gems of political mayhem from Tea Party alter ego. Possibly said as a anti-Obama comment for her Obama hating supporters, Bachmann decidedly called the Obama administration a "gangster government". Here's politico's report:

"I don’t take back my statement on gangster government," said Bachmann, who is weighing a 2012 run for president, on NBC's "Meet the Press." "I think there are actions taken by this government are corrupt."

After the midterm elections, Bachmann had blogged that the debt ceiling would be “one of the most significant challenges to the start of the 112th Congress” and that “Congress simply cannot continue to operate under the pretense of ‘gangster government,’ raising the limit upon our whim.”

 Hopefully Bachmann's supporters will feel bad enough for her that they'll vote for her anyway. If she realizes in time that she is distancing herself from the 'undecideds' and democratic majority, she ay even have a chance to consider running for president.

Mental Health Break

In this pressing time and state of confusion, political parties are looking left and right (and center) for support on their issues. The Republicans seem to have found one such supporter: leukemia. In their battle against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Republicans find that they and leukemia share a common disposition to fair treatment and medication for all. The Onion reports:

WASHINGTON—Citing a mutually shared vision of health care in America, congressional Republicans and the deadly bone-marrow cancer leukemia announced a joint effort Wednesday to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the historic new bill that extends health benefits to 32 million Americans nationwide.

"Republicans have no greater ally in this fight than leukemia," said Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), who was flanked by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), and the abnormal increase in white blood cells. "Denying insurance to Americans with preexisting conditions and ensuring that low-income Americans stand no chance of receiving quality health care are just a few of the core beliefs that the GOP and leukemia share."

Hopefully leukemia will help them overturn this act. It will definitely help gain support for this righteous cause. Good luck Republicans. *This article is a joke, no offense intended to anyone.

Keeping Bush Around

With the recent repeal of repealing DADT, it is no surprise that the Republicans in Senate feel in control. They have now repealed a finance campaign reform bill, proving their tight hand over the Senate right now. The republican senators are striving for the days of Bush and enforcing republicanism on the Senate and country with full force. Politico gives a closer look:

Senate Democrats failed to break a filibuster of a campaign finance reform bill Thursday, marking the second time their DISCLOSE Act has fallen short of the votes necessary to be debated on the floor.

The chief Senate sponsor of the bill, Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York, had tried to make a last-ditch appeal to his Republican colleagues Wednesday by saying Democrats would be open to amendments — including a push back of the legislation's effective date to the next campaign cycle. But GOP senators were unconvinced by the appeal on a bill they believe should have been more openly negotiated and merited a committee debate.

The legislation required 60 votes to move forward and failed, 59-39, without a single Republican breaking ranks.

 Will the Republicans continue this stroke of power? How many more bills, policies, acts will they overcome and repeal? Hopefully things settle down and even out in the Senate.