Mitch Daniels bows out

Official Statement: "Over the last year and a half, a large and diverse group of people have suggested to me an idea that I never otherwise would have considered, that I run for President. I’ve asked for time to think it over carefully, but these good people have been very patient and I owe them an answer.

The answer is that I will not be a candidate. What could have been a complicated decision was in the end very simple: on matters affecting us all, our family Constitution gives a veto to the women’s caucus, and there is no override provision. Simply put, I find myself caught between two duties. I love my country; I love my family more.
I am deeply concerned, for the first time in my life, about the future of our Republic. In the next few years Americans will decide two basic sets of questions: Who’s in charge here? Should the public sector protect and promote the private sector or dominate and direct it? Does the government work for the people or vice versa?

And, are we Americans still the kind of people who can successfully govern ourselves, discipline ourselves financially, put the future and our children’s interests ahead of the present and our own.

I am confident that the answers will reaffirm the liberty and vitality of our nation, and hope to play some small part in proving that view true."

Mitch Daniels not saying No

The nation's best governor spoke briefly last night (before heading over to Kilroys) then passed the mic to Indiana's First Lady in a Keynote Address at a GOP-sponsored event. Many speculate that the purpose of the event was to build Cheri Daniels' public speaking repertoire. Mitch's outstanding record on fiscal matters and his recent education reform has earned a large following of supporters urging him to enter the Republican primary including Scott Walker, Chris Cristie, Jeb Bush, Haley Barbour, John Boehner, and Paul Ryan. When questioned earlier in the week, Governor Daniels stated that he thinks he could beat President Obama should he be elected to represent America's conservative party. His CPAC speech gives us some insight on those virtues.

Japan Earthquake/Tsunami/Nuclear Meltdown

[click image to watch video]

Mitch Daniels 2012 gains momentum

This past month has seen a flurry of articles from political insiders and national pundits boasting Mitch Daniels at "the It boy" likely to receive the 2012 GOP bid. As noted in my previous post, it picked up steam right after CPAC - which Ron Paul actually won, but that sparked a mention of Mitch on the cover of TIME magazine, Jon Stewart commenting on Mitch's chances based on his "height and hair", ABC News says he's a "nerdy chic" choice, and now George Will says Daniels has "the low-key charisma of competence." Will he enter the race or let the deadline pass without blinking?

My Man Mitch Speaketh

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels addressed the CPAC crowd tonight in Washington DC, noting the growing federal debt is threatening the survival of the nation, and conservatives must unite themselves and the country behind defeating the 'new Red Menace' of red ink.
Daniels, who served as political director under former President Ronald Reagan and budget director under former President George W. Bush, said the necessary changes include restructuring Social Security and Medicare for later retirees, putting at least a moratorium on new regulations, if not adopting a "self-certification regime," making the tax code "lower and flatter," ramping up domestic energy production and not exempting defense spending from budget scrutiny. Daniels said it's up to conservatives to be specific on "the best way back to greatness." But that doesn't mean they should hold out for an ideal solution.

"Should the best way be blocked, while the enemy draws nearer, then someone will need to find the second-best way. Or the third, because the nation's survival requires it," Daniels said. "Purity in martyrdom is for suicide bombers."
Getting enough support for the changes, he said, requires showing a "special passion for those still on the first rung of life's ladder. Upward mobility from the bottom is the crux of the American promise, and the stagnation of the middle class is in fact becoming a problem, on any fair reading of the facts," Daniels said. "Our main task is not to see that people of great wealth add to it, but that those without much money have a greater chance to earn some."
"Mitch Daniels is the one person who hasn't been trying to toot his own horn for the past three years," Yale senior Max Eden said. "We're trying to just help get the word out about him because everybody we talk to about him loves him, but not enough people know about him yet." 
His student group distributed T-shirts modeled after the Obama "Hope" poster, replaced with Daniels and the word "Solvency." The group also distributed buttons and cards promoting Daniels' "legacy of leadership" and his "results not rhetoric."

Mike Pence wins Straw Poll

Indiana Representative Mike Pence gained more votes than any other Republican at Iowa's annual Values Voter Summit.

The socially conservative meeting suggests Pence as a serious GOP candidate to run for president in 2012, pulling in nearly a quarter of the votes. Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin also placed in the top five. Those casting ballots also listed their top issues as: government spending, healthcare overhaul, national security, religious liberty and abortion.

2012 - The End of Times?

At 11:11am on December 21, 2012 our planet will be another 13 Bak'tuns older (or 69k moons*), which you may have heard is the END of the WORLD. Actually it's just the end of the Mayan calender; the last 'birthday' was 3114 BC. Click those links to discover how exact Mayans were with star alignment and physical cycles...

But the most significant fact is that for the first time in 26,000 years (a Great Year) our Sun will pass through the galactic equator of the Milky Way, meaning a great source of energy could be disrupted.

Perhaps a solar flare will simply wipe out all our satellites? Maybe earthquakes, volcanic eruption, giant meteors and tidal flooding? (notice the black Prez... lame duck?)

If you think that's scary, try this on for size: a reverse in magnetic poles - that hasn't happened in 740,000 years (and we're overdue by 240,000 years) Your compass will point South instead of North? Check.

 Cataclysmicly devastating events? Check. Laws of physics will vanish? Well, we won't know until then (our magnets will get weaker gradually), but I'm hoping we pass through a Black Hole and we finally get new neighbors, because Mars is so annoying!

*Fun Fact: a moon cycle is a Tun-Uc, a 28-day cycle that breaks the moon into 4 phases that we call a "week". Booyah!