Thrump: Out of the Presidential Race

Don Trump announced today that he is out of the race for president.

TRUMP STATEMENT “After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the presidency.” “This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country. I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election. I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector.”

My Translation: Republicans, consider yourself punked.  You gave Thrump your votes in the polls while he worked on getting his TV show renewed. Pundits made loud noises about Thrump's "potential" and "the Donald" took all the free publicity showered upon him.  After all, who wants to be President of the United States of America when he can sign on to host two more seasons of Celebrity Apprentice?.

Newt Gingrich Enters 2012 Race

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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia formally entered the 2012 Republican presidential race today, announcing his intentions in a web video.“I believe we can return America to hope and opportunity,”  Gingrich said. “We’ve done it before, we can do it again.”

Gingrich’s long life in the national spotlight is both his strength and weakness in the 2012 campaign. He is universally well known and  well liked by Republican primary voters and is also widely respected in GOP circles as a "serious and innovative policy mind" according to The Washington Post's The Fix blog.

A former college professor, Gingrich was elected to the House in 1978. In the 1994 midterm elections, he spearheaded a Republican campaign that gave the party its first majority in the House in 40 years. In January 1995, when the new Congress took office, he became the first Republican House speaker since Representative Joe Martin of Massachusetts served in the post from 1953 to 1955.

In 1997, Gingrich was reprimanded by the House and paid $300,000 to settle claims that he had used tax-exempt organizations for political purposes and had given misleading statements during an investigation. He announced his resignation from Congress in November 1998 after the House Republicans saw their majority shrink in the second consecutive election.

Gingrich, 67, is twice divorced, and in the 1990s - while he was leading the charge to impeach President Bill Clinton in connection with his affair with a White House intern - he had an extramarital affair with the woman who became his third wife. Socially conservative voters influential in the Republican primary race could be turned off by that past, analysts say.

Related articles

• Newt Gingrich announces presidential campaign (cbsnews.com)
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• Newt Gingrich Announcing 2012 Presidential Campaign On Wednesday (huffingtonpost.com)

Countdown With Keith Olbermann Returning

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Countdown With Keith Olbermann returns to the air on June 20th at 8PM ET and today we're learning a bit more about who will be in the show. The contributors to Current TV's "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" are a diverse lot.

Joining Olbermann will be filmmaker and provocateur Michael Moore, filmmaker/non-provocateur Ken Burns, Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas, and National Association of Free Clinics executive director Nicole D. Lamoureux. All will contribute occasionally.

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• "Keith Olbermann taps Michael Moore, Ken Burns, Richard Lewis for ‘Countdown’" and related posts (latimesblogs.latimes.com)
• Keith Olbermann announces first group of regular contributors, including Markos Moulitsas (dailykos.com)
• Michael Moore To Be A Contributor Olbermann's New Countdown TV Show (perezhilton.com)

Dick Cheney Undecided on Heart Transplant

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The Associated Press reported the following:

Former Vice President Dick Cheney says he hasn't decided whether to seek a heart transplant.

Cheney tells "Fox News Sunday" that his health has improved since last year, when he was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure. He had an operation last summer to fit his body with a battery-powered device that helps his heart pump blood.

In his Fox appearance, Cheney spoke with a raspy voice and appeared less gaunt than he had in the months following the operation.

Cheney says he's working on a book and planning a fishing trip later in May. Asked how he could go fishing safely with an electrical device attached to his body, the 70-year-old former vice president quipped, "You're not supposed to fall in."

Related articles

• Cheney undecided on heart transplant operation (sfgate.com)
• Dick Cheney Undecided On Heart Transplant Operation (huffingtonpost.com)
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NJ Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Carl Lewis Case

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New Jersey's Supreme Court said Friday that it won't weigh in on whether Carl Lewis is eligible to run for the state Senate, a decision that keeps the former Olympic star on the ballot, for now. A denial of certification signed by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, said the key constitutional issue is already being litigated in federal court.

Lewis is running as a Democrat in southern New Jersey's Republican-dominated 8th District. The nine-time Olympic gold medalist -- one of the world's most decorated track stars -- is the only Democrat on the ballot. Incumbent Dawn Marie Addiego is unopposed in the Republican primary.

Lewis won one victory, which is enough to keep his hope alive. A federal appeals court panel ruled Thursday that his name must be included on the ballot for the June 7 primary. The legal case now rests with a federal district judge, who could possibly remove Lewis from the general election ballot, even though he's included in the primary.

Related articles

• Appeals court allows Carl Lewis to stay on state ballot for now (cnn.com)
• NJ court won't halt ballot printing for Carl Lewis (thegrio.com)
• Court puts Carl Lewis back on NJ primary ballot (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

New DNC Chair Debbie Wasswerman Schultz

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Effective immediately, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is the new Chair of the Democratic National Committee. President Barack Obama picked the four-term lawmaker from South Florida last month to succeed former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who is seeking a Senate seat in his home state. The full DNC unanimously ratified Wasserman Schultz's selection on Wednesday, making her the first woman elected chair by the full body.

During the past year, I have watched the Congresswoman speak on behalf of the Democratic position on a number of controversial issues.  She is articulate, intelligent, personable, and fully capable of meeting the challenges of the next 18 months. She is the mother of twins and is a Breast Cancer survivor.

President Obama at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner