Occupy's Inequality Push Misses Real Problem: Per Capita Income Has Fallen Over Five Years

At Investor's Business Daily, "Inequality? Real Issue Is Falling Real Income For All":

As long as a rising economic tide kept incomes afloat, concerns about inequality rarely surfaced for long.

Only after four years in which income disparities actually narrowed a bit — typical of recessions — did last year's emergence of Occupy Wall Street make inequality a big political issue.

But, as the movement's "We are the 99%" slogan comprising almost everyone suggests, what really has people upset is the fact that everyone's slice of the pie, on average, has gotten a bit smaller.

The nation has now gone through a five-year stretch in which real per capita disposable income has shrunk, the first time that's happened since the demobilization after World War II.

Disposable per capita income equaled $37,000 at the end of November vs. an inflation-adjusted $37,060 in September 2006, Commerce Department data show.

The long drought largely reflects 2008-09 income declines, but real per capita disposable income also fell 0.9% in the 12 months through November.

Official data show that the U.S. economy finally recouped recessionary losses in the third quarter of 2011, eclipsing the prior GDP peak at the end of 2007. But those statistics, while marking a postwar record for futility, still paint too bright of a picture.

Continue reading.

Actually, there could be something here politically for either party. But given that Barack Hussein's going to run a class-warfare campaign, the GOP nominee will do right by boning up on these statistics.

Romney Unleashes Attack on Gingrich at Tampa GOP Debate

At New York Times, "Romney Unleashes Attack With Gingrich Sole Target":

TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney leveled a searing attack against Newt Gingrich’s character and raised pointed questions about his ability to lead during a debate here Monday evening, taking urgent steps to slow Mr. Gingrich’s rising momentum in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination.

For the first time, Mr. Gingrich strode onto the stage as an indisputable equal to Mr. Romney after dislodging him from his confident perch as the front-runner in the race with his commanding victory on Saturday in South Carolina. Mr. Romney dug into his rival’s tenure as House speaker and the ensuing years, when he advised companies like the mortgage giant Freddie Mac, a period for which Mr. Romney branded him as “an influence peddler in Washington.”

“You are looking for a person who can lead this country at a very critical time,” Mr. Romney said. “The speaker was given the opportunity to be the leader of our party in 1994, and after four years he resigned in disgrace.”

Mr. Gingrich painted Mr. Romney’s attacks as desperate and riddled with inaccuracies. He embraced his confrontational style and defended himself forcefully, but his responses came without the bombast that has delighted crowds throughout the race.

“They’re not sending somebody to Washington to manage the decay,” Mr. Gingrich said. “They’re sending somebody to Washington to change it, and that requires somebody who’s prepared to be controversial when necessary.”

The new landscape of the Republican campaign came into sharp view, with Mr. Romney and Mr. Gingrich often seeming as though they had traded personalities for the evening. It was clear from the outset that the tables had turned, as Mr. Romney repeatedly tried to provoke Mr. Gingrich, who has built up a reputation as a formidable debater.

“I’m not going to spend the evening trying to chase Governor Romney’s misinformation,” Mr. Gingrich said, telegraphing his plan to try to take the high road. “I think the American public deserves a discussion about how to beat Barack Obama.”

Yet on the eve of President Obama’s State of the Union address, the debate was notable for the lack of time devoted to Mr. Obama. It was the first sign of the consequences of a drawn-out Republican nominating contest, with Mr. Obama taking a back seat to terse re-examinations of the candidates’ records.

Continue reading.

And see Washington Post, "Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich clash sharply in Republican presidential debate." And USA Today, "Florida debate marks pivotal moment in the Republican race."

William Jacobson has comments, "Republican Debate – Tampa, FL."

American Exceptionalism

Just imagine if Newt Gingrich won the nomination and defeated Barack Obama in the fall. We'd have as the new first lady Callista Gingrich, who is so unabashedly patriotic as to put Michelle 'For the First Time I'm Proud of My Country' Obama in the shade a thousand times over.

Polls Show Gingrich Bounce Heading Into Florida

Two polls fresh on the heels of South Carolina show Newt Gingrich pulling out a nice lead in the Sunshine State.

At Rusmussen, "Florida GOP Primary: Gingrich 41%, Romney 32%." And also an InsiderAdvantage poll at Newsmax, "Newt Surges to Lead in Fla., Romney Trails by 8 Points." (Via Memeorandum.)

The buzz on Florida is that it's much more diverse than South Carolina, and hence way more unpredictable. A couple of weeks ago I expected Mitt Romney to basically clinch the nomination in Florida. But that's obviously not happening now. He could win, but all that would do is establish a firm two-man race heading into the next series of primary contests. Frontloading HQ has more, "Musings on the Republican Nomination Race, Post-South Carolina":

The notion of Mitt Romney sweeping or nearly sweeping the January contests and putting the nomination race to rest are gone -- even with a Florida win. But the idea of a momentum contest -- one that will typically develop behind the frontrunner, no matter how nominal -- is not completely dead.  Romney remains the frontrunner. The former Massachusetts governor is viewed as the establishment choice and is the only candidate to this point to have placed in the top two in each of the first three contests. He is still the favorite to build a consensus around his candidacy -- just not as much as he was in the five days or so after the New Hampshire primary.

But the question remains just how will Romney, or any other candidate for that matter, build a consensus and win the nomination. There are two main avenues from FHQ's perspective; one narrow and one fairly broad. The narrow path to the nomination is that Mitt Romney bounces back from the South Carolina primary, wins Florida, uses his organizational advantage over Gingrich and Santorum in the February caucus states, and then wins in Arizona and Michigan. The broader path is one that devolves into a contest-by-contest struggle; a battle for delegates the end game of which is the point where one candidate has a wide enough delegate margin that cannot be overcome given the number of delegates to be allocated remaining.

And see also Wall Street Journal, "The Gingrich Challenge" (via Memeorandum).

Ann Coulter Defends Mitt Romney After South Carolina Drubbing

We're in for a nasty period of internecine warfare over the next couple of month, by the looks of reactions to the South Carolina results. Here's Ann Coulter pissing off a good many folks in the Palmetto State, particularly the tea party activists and evangelicals who propelled Gingrich to victory.

[VIDEO PULLED]

See also William Jacobson, "Fearmongers for Romney," and Dan Riehl, "Jennifer Rubin Loses It, Pens Open Letter."

And it's on both sides. Gerard Van der Leun puts things into perspective, "RDS: The ALLCAPS NEWTERS Signal the Outbreak of Severe Romney Derangement Syndrome."

Romney Opens Aggressive New Phase of Campaign

At Los Angeles Times, "Mitt Romney tells 'interrupters' at rally to 'take a hike'":

Reporting from Ormond Beach, Fla.—

Mitt Romney opened an aggressive new phase of the Republican presidential campaign as he cruised into Florida on Sunday night — casting Newt Gingrich as an unethical politician whose temperament and unreliability led to his ouster as speaker of the House in the 1990s.

After a week in which he conceded his Iowa win to Rick Santorum after a recount and lost to Gingrich by double digits in South Carolina, Romney acknowledged that the Republican contest had become a three-man race. But he took a much tougher tone toward Gingrich – directly raising the ethics investigation that Gingrich faced in the 1990s and demanding that Gingrich provide an accounting for the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

“We’re not choosing a talk show host," Romney said, alluding to his rival’s strong debate performances that helped shift momentum in his favor in South Carolina. "We’re choosing the person who should be leader of the free world.”

He went on to list what he described as the qualities of a leader: integrity, sobriety, judgment, thoughtfulness, reliability and high ethical standards. “You’re going to have to look at that as Floridians and decide which of the people running for president on our side of the aisle includes the qualities of leadership.”

After touting his own experience in the private sector, turning around the 2002 Olympic Games and governing the state of Massachusetts, Romney pivoted to Gingrich.

"At the end of four years as speaker of the House, it was proven that he was a failed leader,” Romney said. “He had to resign in disgrace. I don’t know whether you knew that.… His fellow Republicans – 88% of his Republicans – voted to reprimand Speaker Gingrich. He has not had a record of successful leadership.”

More at Astute Bloggers, "MITT FIGHTS BACK!"

Democratic Socialists of America to Bolster Occupy Wall Street in Push for Massive 'Spring Offensive'

Well, it's a natural progression of things, no doubt.

At New Zeal, "DSA Marxists Take Over the Occupy Movement: Plan “Spring Offensive,” With Widespread Occupations of State Capitols, Schools and Workplaces."

PREVIOUSLY: "Walter James 'Occupy' Casper Continues Campaign of Lies: Childishly Whines About 'McCarthyism' While Endorsing Anarchists and Anti-Semitic Communists."

BONUS: At Marathon Pundit, "Occupy occtrocities: San Francisco violence edition."

Is Germany the Envy of the United States?

I'm glad for the Germans.

Their economy is certainly the envy of Europe. But I doubt we'll be seeing these kinds of comparisons in a few years, when the U.S. returns to strong economic growth rates and continued unquestioned leadership of the world economy.

At Los Angeles Times, "Germany has the economic strengths America once boasted":

Every summer, Volkmar and Vera Kruger spend three weeks vacationing in the south of France or at a cool getaway in Denmark. For the other three weeks of their annual vacation, they garden or travel a few hours away to root for their favorite team in Germany's biggest soccer stadium.

The couple, in their early 50s, aren't retired or well off. They live in a small Tudor-style house in this middle-class town about 30 miles northwest of Frankfurt. He's a foreman at a glass factory; she works part time for a company that tracks inventories for retailers. Their combined income is a modest $40,000.

Yet the Krugers have a higher standard of living than many Americans who have twice that income.

Their secret: little debt, frugal habits and a government that is intensely focused on high production, low inflation and extensive social services.

That has given them job security and good medical care as well as well-maintained roads, trains and bike paths. Both of their adult children are out on their own, thanks in part to Germany's job-training system and heavy subsidies for university education.

For instance, Volkmar's out-of-pocket costs for stomach surgery and 10 days in a hospital totaled just $13 a day. College tuition for their son runs about $260 a semester.

Germany, with its manufacturing base and export prowess, is the America of yesteryear, an economic power unlike any of its European neighbors. As the world's fourth-largest economy, it has thrived on principles that the United States seems to have gradually lost.

It has tightly managed its budget and adopted reforms — such as raising the retirement age — that some other Eurozone nations are just now being forced to undertake. And few countries can match Germany's capabilities for producing and exporting machinery and other equipment, or its infrastructure for research, apprenticeships and financing that support manufacturing.

"German industry is strong," said Volkmar, speaking in halting English as he occasionally looks up translations on a laptop. "People work good. That's why the German economy is best in Europe."

There's a simple explanation for this. Germany is Germany and the U.S. is the U.S. They have different economies, different economic systems, and different political cultures. And Germany has always been a powerhouse in Europe, or, at least since the end of the 19th century when it made a bid for international mastery and overtook Great Britain in the European balance of power. But it was the U.S. that stopped Germany's attempt at world hegemony and the U.S. was instrumental in rebuilding the German state into the powerhouse that it is today. The continent has been known for slow growth rates and high unemployment for decades, and a relatively austere fiscal policy over the last few years has enabled the German economy to better withstand recent international financial crises than its regional neighbors.

But the U.S. is out of recession and unemployment rates in the American economy are heading downward. As the financial and housing sectors continue to shake out we should see more improvement, particularly after businesses begin to invest and expand their payrolls, putting people back to work. This will take longer should Barack Obama be reelected. Top business leaders have indicated that investment in infrastructure and human resources has been delayed amid uncertainty in the business climate --- particularly the threat of continued onerous taxes and regulation, such as ObamaCare and environmental mandates. Get a Republican in the White House and the good news we're starting to see in the economy will accelerate. And with a couple of quarters of robust economic growth rates of say 4 or 5 percent of GDP, we'll soon have news articles touting America as the envy of the world again.

Ezra Levant Slams Obama Administration's Keystone XL Rejection

Via American Digest:

The Che Guevara Democrat Party

From Peter Ferrara, at American Spectator:

Those who contribute to, vote for, or otherwise support today's Democrat party need to catch up to the curve. These are not your father's Democrats. George McGovern would be a moderate in this party.

This is the party that rejected Hillary Clinton because she was not left enough. Instead it literally took a Marxist street agitator from the Chicago political machine and put him in the White House. Barack Obama was actually teaching the social manipulation methods of openly communist revolutionary Saul Alinsky to other Marxist revolutionaries for the radical communist front group ACORN. His weird name reflects his personal rejection of American culture. This is the person today's Democrat party wanted for President.

But it is not just him. The leader of the House Democrats is former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, ultraleft San Francisco Democrat totem. She is virtually as far left as Obama, and her public statements make Sarah Palin seem like a Ph.D. in economics. She keeps telling us that unemployment insurance payments are the best way to restore booming economic growth and prosperity.

When the American people rebuked Pelosi's ultraleft leadership as House Speaker, turning to the Republicans for the greatest House turnover since the New Deal, House Democrats responded with their own rebuke of the people. They voted Pelosi right back in as their leader, effectively saying to the American people that they were too stupid to know what they are doing, and that Pelosi's ultraleft San Francisco values best represent the Democrat party's ideals.

The Democrats also elected as DNC Chairman the unreasoned and far left screamer and name caller Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who also makes Sarah Palin look like a rocket scientist. She touts as her achievements in the Florida legislature the Florida Residential Swimming Pools Safety Act, and state regulation of dry cleaning prices. She compiled during her career there the widely noted most liberal-left voting record of any state legislator. The Democrat party considered that the perfect qualification for party chairman.

If you think that increased government spending, deficits, and debt are the key to economic growth and prosperity, then this is the party for you. That is explicitly its economic policy, as crazy as that sounds. Democrats call it Keynesian economics. If you don't agree that increased government spending, deficits, and debt promote economic growth, then you shouldn't be voting for, contributing to, and supporting Democrats, and you shouldn't let your friends do so either.

Continue reading.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords to Resign From Congress

Here's wishing her a continued successful recovery and, I hope, a return to public service.

At Arizona Republic, "Giffords stepping down from Congress." Also Memeorandum.

FLASHBACK: "Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Shot by Gunman at Townhall Event in Tucson — Progressives Blame Sarah Palin 'Hit List'."

Rule 5: Lucy Pinder New Year's Wishes

A little late, but enjoyable.

See also Bob Belvedere, "Rule 5 News: 21 January 2012 A.D."

Plus, at The Last Tradition, "Taylor Swift is stunning and sophisticated on Vogue magazine cover."

And cheerleader babes at Proof Positive, "SF 49er's Play NY Giants at the Stick." Also at Pirate's Cove, "If All You See…is a field that should be full of solar panels, you might just be a Warmist."

More lovelies at Guns and Bikinis, "Bouncing Swimsuit Beauties." And at Maggie's Notebook, "Rule 5 Saturday Night Cowgirls, Cowboys and a Couple of Six Packs."

And check POH Diaries, "Kate Upton Beach Bunny Bikini," and Jake Finnegan's, "Burkalesque Babe: Nazanin Afshin-Jam."

Still more at Randy's Roundtable, "Thursday Nite Tart: Jessica Perez," and Teresamerica, "Vicky Kaya Rule 5."

And of course Theo's, "Bedtime Totty..."

BONUS: At Linkiest, "BABEOLOGY: KICK-ASS GIRLS."

EXTRA: At American Perspective, "Most effective anti-American pResident ever!"

'An Utter Repudiation of Romney'

Again, with the massive outpouring of analysis, combined with the conference championships today, I didn't even attempt to wade through all the perspectives. Memeorandum still has the South Carolina news at the top of the page. An especially devastating take is from Sean Trende at RealClearPolitics, "Three Takeaways From South Carolina":

This vote was an utter repudiation of Romney, and it absolutely will be repeated in state after state if something doesn’t change the basic dynamic of the race. It is true that Gingrich doesn’t have funds or organization, but he gets a ton of free media from the debates, and he has an electorate that simply wants someone other than Romney.

That’s not to say that Romney’s money and organization don’t give him advantages -- they do. He remains the GOP front-runner, in my view, because it isn’t clear how well Gingrich can survive the long haul. But there’s a not-insubstantial chance, call it 35 percent, that Romney won’t be the nominee.

RTWT.

And here's George Will on "This Week":

Plus, John Hawkins has an excellent analysis, "Newt Vs. Mitt After South Carolina: What The Inside The Beltway Crowd Misses."

Smokin' Brittany Kerr Melts the Internet!

Websites crashed after fans starting searching for her.

At London's Daily Mail, "Bikini hunt meltdown! American Idol fans eager to see more of Brittany Kerr cause website crash."

Did Steven Tyler Butcher the National Anthem?

It wasn't my favorite rendition, but he started to belt it out pretty good toward the end.

At TMZ, "Steven Tyler's National Anthem: Did It Suck?"

And the full clip's at Bleacher Report, "Ravens vs. Patriots Video: Watch Steven Tyler Butcher the National Anthem."

Billy Cundiff Misses Field Goal in Final Seconds: Patriots Escape Sudden Death Overtime

It was a shocking end.

The video is at the NFL's page, "Wide left: Cundiff's missed FG ends Ravens' season."

Plus, at Los Angeles Times, "Patriots escape with 23-20 win in AFC title game," and New York Times, "Patriots Defeat Ravens to Advance to Super Bowl."

Added: Actually, it wouldn't have been sudden death. See ESPN, "Scenarios for sudden death in playoffs."

Sunday Cartoons

Enjoy the comics until later today, after football.

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."

Also at Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's Sunday Funnies," and Theo Spark, "Cartoon Round Up..."

NFL Conference Championship Weekend

Well, I'm holding off on some political analysis because there's just too much news and commentary to digest. I'll be blogging the reactions to the South Carolina primary earthquake later today. Meanwhile, I'm getting ready for some football. I love the playoffs more than the Super Bowl, and Bill Plaschke does too, at the Los Angeles Times, "This Sunday is twice as good for NFL fans":

One of the hidden truths in professional football will make its annual appearance Sunday, bitten by frost, pelted by rain, awash in beauty.

Advertisers don't want you to know it. Party planners don't want you to feel it. The NFL itself would rather you not recognize it. But with the intensity of a John Elway scramble and the passion of a Dwight Clark leap, it is a truth that cannot be denied.

Sunday is the greatest single day of the NFL season. Sunday is the real Super Bowl, only twice as much and twice as good.

The two conference championship games played Sunday will be more compelling than the one game played two weeks later, and it won't even be close.

Sunday is the Super Bowl minus the capital letters, Roman numerals and incessant glitz. Sunday is real football, played in real weather, in front of real fans, for real stakes.

I've never seen a Super Bowl winner cry. I've seen New Orleans Saints players weeping when they beat the Minnesota Vikings to qualify for their first Super Bowl.

I've never seen a Super Bowl quarterback quiver. I've seen Peyton Manning nearly faint from emotion as he staggered off the field after finally beating Tom Brady and qualifying for his first Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl has become so big, both teams feel as if they've won by simply being there, and often act and play like it. The conference championships are very different, very down, very dirty. Heroes are made, chokers are discovered, every victory is much sweeter, each defeat more devastating.

The conference championship games create so many great moments, those moments have been given enduring names. The Catch. The Drive. The Fumble. Even perhaps the most legendary postseason game of the modern was a Super Bowl semifinal game, the 1967 Ice Bowl in Green Bay.

When as the last time the Super Bowl produced something so memorable that it was given a name? The Wardrobe Malfunction?

This Sunday's conference title clashes will be more of the same, a Super Bowl without some highbrow casual fan staring at the TV shouting "Super!" while other fans spend time grazing in appetizer bowls.

RTWT.

Also, at USA Today, "Three-and-out: Giants, 49ers set to add to playoff history," and "Three-and-out: Ravens, Patriots provide battle of contrasts."

South Carolina Raises Fresh Doubts About Republican Contest

Well, the doubts should be about the ease with which Romney held onto his frontrunner status for so long. The media is especially to blame, but I think Romney's rivals played softball way too long, afraid that they'd be crossed off the list of possible appointments in a Romney administration. Tim Pawlenty must be kicking himself every night for dropping out of the race so damned early.

At New York Times, "Fresh Doubts About Republican Contest":

CHARLESTON, S.C. — For Mitt Romney, the South Carolina primary was not just a defeat, though it was most emphatically that. It was also where his campaign confronted the prospect it had most hoped to avoid: a dominant, surging and energized rival.

The rebirth of Newt Gingrich, a notion that seemed far-fetched only weeks ago, has upended a litany of assumptions about this turbulent race. It wounds Mr. Romney, particularly given his stinging double-digit defeat here on Saturday, and raises the likelihood that the Republican contest could stretch into the springtime.

For now the race goes on, with Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Romney joined by Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. But Mr. Gingrich’s showing here suggests that Mr. Romney may no longer be able to count on his rivals splitting the opposing vote into harmless parcels, or on the support he is getting from the party establishment to carry him past a volatile conservative grass-roots movement.

At a minimum, it is clear that Republican voters, after delivering three different winners in the first three stops in the nominating contest, are in no rush to settle on their nominee.

Mr. Romney, whose message has been built around the proposition that he can create jobs, lost badly among voters who said they were very worried about the economy, according to exit polls.

He had trouble with evangelicals and voters searching for a candidate who shared their faith. He did not win over people who support the Tea Party movement. And he struggled with questions about his wealth over the past week and could not match Mr. Gingrich in exciting the passions of conservatives.

His arguments of electability — the spine of his candidacy — fell flat to a wide portion of the party’s base here.

For all that, by most traditional measures, Mr. Romney retains a firm upper hand in the Republican race as it moves into a protracted battle to win 1,144 delegates.

Well, I don't know how "firm" that upper hand will be, considering the phenomenal bounce Gingrich will get coming out of South Carolina. But Romney's got the money and infrastructure, which I blogged about earlier. He needs to win Florida to recapture the momentum.

PREVIOUSLY: "Romney's National Campaign Operation Will Be Hard to Overcome."

Heidi Klum to File for Divorce

Citing irreconcilable differences.

And they have four children together, which is sad.

At TMZ, "Heidi Klum to File for Divorce From Seal."

And London's Daily Mail, "'The end': Is it all over for Hollywood's golden couple Heidi and Seal after singer's cryptic Tweet."