New Gallup Poll: Enthusiastic" Voters Prefer GOP by 20 Points in 2010 Vote

Here’s some more devastating news for President Obama and the Democrats!

The Democrats continue to play their deceitful games trying to fool the public. Today they’re hauling Goldman Sachs execs to congress for a show trial even though Sachs was Barack Obama’s largest corporate campaign contributor and the largest hedge funds gave more to the Democrat Party.

From Gallup:

Although U.S. registered voters are closely divided in their 2010 congressional election preferences, those who say they are "very enthusiastic about voting" this year show a strong preference for the Republican Party.
The analysis is based on interviews with more than 5,000 U.S. registered voters conducted April 1-25, 2010, as part of Gallup Daily tracking.

Gallup has consistently found Republicans expressing a higher level of enthusiasm than Democrats about voting in this year's election campaign. Theoretically, those who are enthusiastic about voting would be more likely to turn out to vote than those who are not enthusiastic. This fall, Gallup will be better able to measure the potential impact of turnout on the vote by applying its "likely voter" model to the generic ballot results. That model takes into account a more complete set of factors related to voting, including interest in the election, intention to vote, and past voting behavior.

In addition to the enthusiasm divide, Gallup polling since the start of April reveals large gender and marital gaps in congressional voting preferences.

Specifically, men are more likely than women to say they would vote for the Republican candidate if the election were held today, while women would favor the Democratic candidate. Those who are currently married are more likely to support Republicans, and the unmarried are more likely to support Democrats.

There is a combined effect between gender and marriage, such that married men are decidedly Republican and unmarried women strongly Democratic. Marital status seems to be the more important of the two factors, since married men and married women prefer the Republican candidate, and unmarried men and unmarried women prefer the Democratic candidate.

Both Republicans and Democrats show a high degree of party loyalty in their current congressional voting choices. Independents tilt in the Republican direction, though about one in five independents do not express a preference.
Full story

Via Gallup

Via Memeorandum

The Last Tradition

Public Sector Pensions Much Worse Than Wall Street

Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard has written this fantastic piece laying out these case how public sectors employees and their pensions are the tuue vilians that Democrats protect.

The New Fat Cats

The indefensible pensions of public-sector employees.
BY Fred Barnes
John Edwards was right. There are two Americas, just not his two (the rich and powerful versus everyone else). The real divide today is, on one side, the 20 million people who work for state and local governments and the additional 3 million who’ve retired with fat pensions. On the other, the rest of us, roughly 280 million Americans. In short, there’s a gulf between the bureaucrats and the people.

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey puts his fight with teachers and their union in roughly those terms. He says there are “two classes of citizens in New Jersey: those who enjoy rich public benefits and those who pay for them.” The teachers want to keep a pay raise and continue to pay a minimal share of their retiree benefits.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state and local government salaries are 34 percent higher than those for private sector jobs. Okay, that’s partly because government workers tend to have white-collar jobs. Benefits, 70 percent higher for these workers, are the real rub. And benefits for government retirees are the most flagrant. They’ve become a national scandal, a fiscal nightmare for states, cities, and towns, and an example of unfairness of the sort liberals routinely complain about but are mostly silent about just now.

Let’s start with horror stories of pensions run amok. If these tales of wretched excess at the expense of taxpayers don’t infuriate you, you’re jaded from decades of overindulgence by governments large and small:

• In Contra Costa, California, the final salary of one fire chief, 51, was $221,000. He was given an annual, guaranteed pension of $284,000. Another chief, 50, whose final salary was $185,000, got a pension of $241,000. Credit the Contra Costa Times with uncovering this.

• Christie cited two tales in February when he declared a state of fiscal emergency in New Jersey. One retiree, 49, paid “a total of $124,000 towards his retirement pension and health benefits. What will we pay him? $3.3 million in pension payments and health benefits.” A retired teacher paid $62,000. She’ll get “$1.4 million in pension benefits and another $215,000 in health care benefit premiums over her lifetime.”

• In New York, a pensioner in the state retirement system received $641,000 in state payments in a single year. He was a triple dipper. He had a pension of $261,000, the highest in the state. He had a post in the state university system in which he made $280,000. And he was paid $100,000 a year as a consultant for the agency from which he’d retired, the teachers’ retirement system.

• Except for new hires, state workers in New York can retire at 55 with guaranteed benefits to which they contribute only in their first 10 years of work. They pay no state income tax on their pensions, and overtime is counted in computing the size of pensions. “Compared with the average New York worker, state and local government employees receive the gold standard of pensions,” the Syracuse Post-Standard said last year.

• Also in New York, the retirement system is riddled with lucrative pensions for retirees who were fired or convicted of crimes related to their state jobs. Former comptroller Alan Hevesi, who once ran the state’s $154 billion pension fund, was found guilty of defrauding the state. Yet he’s got a pension of $104,123.

• In California, 9,111 retired government workers have pensions of more than $100,000. One retiree draws an annual pension of $509,664. Among retired teachers, 3,065 receive more than $100,000. One gets $285,460. Pensions for retired state workers and teachers will rise 2 percent this year, though Social Security recipients aren’t getting any cost-of-living increase. The hike in California isn’t tied to inflation.

• The city of Vallejo, California, declared bankruptcy in 2008, largely because the payroll for police, firefighters, and their pensions and overtime consumed three-fourths of the budget. City employees could retire at 55 with 81 percent of their last year’s salary guaranteed as pensions. In bankruptcy negotiations, however, Vallejo officials declined to reduce current pensions.
Full Story

Via The Weekly Standard

The Last Tradition

A Latino for Legal Immigration

My friend and fellow blogger Joey Perez of Simply Reaganesque share exactly the same background. Both of us are Puerto Rican New Yorkers who are proud Conservatives who refuse to live in a box set for us by the Democrat Party.

Joey has a message for our fellow Latinos that are activity being seduced by the Democrat Party into thinking that they really have their best interests at heart.

It’s an old recycled lie and Mr. Perez sounds the alarm.

A Latino for Legal Immigration
by Joey Perez

I am back from a long layoff due to health related issues. As I sit here and ponder it is no big surprise that my first Post upon my return deals with illegal immigration. Here is the definition of Illegal Immigration...

Illegal immigration is the movement of people across national borders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country. Now you tell me why is it so hard for the Liberals and their leadership to understand this?

I am an American first and foremost. I also happen to be of Latino/Hispanic heritage. To those Liberals out there you can call me a "Tio Tomas." I really do not care what you think of me. All I know is that I love this country and it is going down the tubes with this administration lead by our President Obama.

All they really want to do is do the same thing to the Hispanic voting block that they have done to the African American community for years. Dumb us down and enslave us to the system with all of their handouts and false promises.

Legal Latinos wise up. and look at what the Democratic Party has done for the African American community for years. Nothing but destroy their hopes and dreams with a false sense of compassion. The inner cities in this country which are populated by Blacks and have been run by Democrats for years are still as poor as they were back then. The race hustling that has gone on for years is despicable. Yet Blacks refuse to wake up and walk away from the plantation. Their own so called leaders like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson continue to enrich themselves while their people never prosper. If the problems of the African American community were to go away these two charlatans would be out of business. It is in their best interest to keep their own people on the ropes. I would love to know what percentage of Jesse's Rainbow Coalition money goes to a poor Black kid in the inner city?

It is for these and other reasons that legal Latinos must not let this happen and must rise up against illegal immigration. They want amnesty for those here illegally for one and only one reason, their vote.

That is why I applaud the Governor of Arizona for the stance she has taken.
If you are here illegally then you are breaking the law, plain and simple.
The Bill that is in question here and has been maligned by our Liberal friends and media does nothing but protect the citizens of Arizona. It actually mirrors the Federal law which is now in existence but the government refuses tp uphold. She was elected to protect the citizens of her state and if the Federal Government is not going to do it then it is her job to protect her citizens.

All this other noise you hear about racial profiling and all of the other nonsense is just a ploy by the despicable Democratic Party and it's leadership to continue dividing this country. It is what they do best.

Join a rally somewhere. Write to your despicable congressman. Attend a Tea Party event. Get involved or our future generations will not know the America we knew.

The Last Tradition

Nationally, 60% Favor Letting Local Police Stop and Verify Immigration Status

Opps!

A majority of the American people disagree with President Obama’s and the Democrat Party’s stance on Arizona’s new Illegal Immigration law!

Once again the president and the Democrats are out of step with the wishes of the American people. However, don’t expect Bam and the Dems to hear what the people have to say. After all they need a new Democrat Creation Reform Bill to better their chances in November.

From Rasmusen Reports:

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer last week signed a new law into effect that authorizes local police to stop and verify the immigration status of anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 60% of voters nationwide favor such a law, while 31% are opposed.
Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Republicans support the law along with 62% of voters not affiliated with either major party. Democratic voters are evenly divided on the measure.

Voter support for empowering local police comes at a time when most voters (56%) believe it is unlikely Congress will take action to gain control of the border. Only 31% say Congress is even somewhat likely to take such an action. That figure includes just 10% who believe Congress is Very Likely to act.

President Obama has denounced the Arizona law, and he and other critics of the measure see it as an incentive to push new national immigration reform legislation to supersede it.

Not surprisingly, support for the law authorizing local police to arrest illegal immigrants is a bit higher in Arizona than it is nationwide. As one of the states most impacted by illegal immigration, 70% of voters statewide favor the new law.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

Brewer signed the new law in the midst of a tough Republican Primary campaign. She antagonized many Republicans early on by supporting a statewide tax increase. More recently, she has pleased many voters by finding a way for the state to sue the federal government over the new health care reform law. Eighty-three percent (83%) of Arizona voters say a candidate's position on immigration is an important factor in how they will vote, including 51% who say it’s very important.

The measure is also having an impact on this year’s Arizona Senate race. Senator John McCain, who narrowly leads conservative challenger J.D. Hayworth in Arizona’s hotly contested GOP Senate Primary race, has come out strongly in support of the new law.

The new survey results are consistent with findings conducted over many years. Three-out-of-four voters believe that the federal government is not doing enough to secure the nation’s borders. In fact, 56% believe that the policies of the federal government encourage illegal immigration. Among voters who are angry about immigration, 83% are angry at the federal government. Only 12% direct their anger at the immigrants.

The biggest point of disconnect between voters and the conventional wisdom in Washington, D.C. has to do with priorities. Almost always in Washington, the debate begins with a focus on how to address the status of illegal immigrants. To voters, that is a secondary concern. Controlling the borders is the top concern. That hasn’t changes since the 2006 immigration legislation collapsed when the U.S. Senate surrendered to public opinion. During that debate, a New York Times/CBS poll found that 69% believed illegal immigrants should be prosecuted and deported.

Other surveys have found that 73% of voters want cops to check the immigration status of all offenders during traffic stops. Sixty-seven percent (67%) also say that if law enforcement officers know of places where immigrants gather to find work, they should sometimes conduct surprise raids to identify and deport those who are here illegally.

Sixty-eight percent (68%) of voters nationwide say that those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants should be punished.

By a 48% to 36% margin, voters say the same about landlords who rent to illegal immigrants. Additionally, 77% of voters nationwide oppose drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants. That topic tripped up Hillary Clinton in a debate during the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Joe Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona, created a national controversy by aggressively enforcing national immigration laws. While his efforts prompted a U.S. Justice Department civil rights investigation, the sheriff remains popular in his home state. Most Arizona voters not only support his policies, but 58% say he has been good for the state’s image. On a personal basis, Arpaio is viewed favorably by 68% of Arizona voters.
Full story

Via Rasmusen Reports

Via Memeorandum
The Last Tradition

City Sheriff Gets Fired for Moonlighting at Topless Clubs

I guess he just wanted a change of scenery.

From The New York Post:

A city sheriff claimed he couldn't work and called in sick to his job for nine months -- but moonlighted the whole time at two Queens strip clubs providing security, The Post has learned.

Sgt. Jefferson Rodriguez has just been canned following a ruling against him by the city Office of Administrative Trials and Hearing.

The city Department of Finance -- which oversees city sheriffs -- allowed Rodriguez to take off work October 2008 through June 2009 and still collect his $83,241 salary so he could recover from a car accident he had while on the job.

Rodriguez provided the necessary medical notices to take the leave, said Finance spokesman Owen Stone.

But Rodriguez, a 47-year-old Bayside, Queens, resident, showed up as an armed security guard at two strip joints -- Perfection and Cityscape -- where his private security firm, Apollo Security, had landed contracts, one for $1,500, court papers say.

The city fired him last month, and his legal appeal was tossed, although Rodriguez claims that he was not working while on medical leave and that he was actually fired as retaliation for joining a federal employment discrimination lawsuit that the city settled for $500,000 in 2008.

"We made hundreds of arrests for this city with not one complaint being lodged against me. My only problem was that I dared to file a lawsuit against the department," Rodriguez told The Post.

His attorney, Kerry Katsorhis, insisted Rodriguez frequented the clubs for pleasure, not work.

"Sergeant Rodriguez liked to attend adult-entertainment establishments for whatever reason only known to him," the lawyer said.

Katsorhis said he was armed because, as a deputy sheriff, he carried his weapon "24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Stone said Rodriguez was not allowed to have his city gun while on another job.

Rodriguez was busted after city officials got an anonymous tip about his outside income, for which he had not obtained permission from the agency, court papers allege.
Full story

Via New York Post

The Last Tradition

Tito Ortiz Arrested for Domestic Violence on Girlfriend Ex Porn Star Jenna Jameson

From SportsNet CA:

UFC light-heavyweight fighter Tito (The Huntington Beach Bad Boy) Ortiz has been arrested on felony domestic violence charges after an incident involving his girlfriend Jenna Jameson, according to reports.
TMZ.com first reported that police were called to the residence of the couple, who are not married but have two twin boys together, Monday morning to investigate a disturbance. Ortiz was arrested and taken from their Huntington Beach home to a jail in Orange County, Calif., the website said. Ortiz, a former UFC champion, is one of the two coaches on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show along with longtime rival Chuck (The Iceman) Liddell. TUF 11, which features middleweights in the same house on separate teams vying for a title, finished taping last month and has nine more episodes to air.

Lt. Mike Reynolds of the Huntington Beach Police Department told MMAjunkie.com Ortiz was being held and was "cooperating with the investigation." While Reynolds did not confirm Jameson, a former adult film star, was the victim in the alleged assault, TMZ.com has footage of her fighting back tears as she drove with her father, who made the initial 911 call.

"I really can't talk about it right now," Jameson said. "Of course (I'm pressing charges). My babies are alright, everything's okay. He's in jail."

Fox News reported Monday night that court records show Ortiz was jailed previously in 1998 after he pled guilty to charges of "battery with serious bodily injury." He was sentenced to 29 days in jail and also received three years' probation and had to complete 232 hours of community service.
Full Story

The Last Tradition

New Book: The Denzel Principle is Causing Quite Stir

There’s a new book out that’s causing quite a stir among Black women!

Although I doubt most sisters have the courage to read, The Denzel Principle: Why Black Women Can’t Find a Good Black Man by Jimi Izrael, because the brother lays down the truth.

A Review by Felix Bolt:

I recently stepped in to my neighborhood library to see if a book that I had on reserve had arrived. As I stood in line to chat with the attractive young bookworm at the Reference Desk, I noticed a book with picture of Denzel Washington on the cover called, “The Denzel Principle – Why Black Men Can’t Find Good Black Men.” As it turns out, my book was not there but since there was no one else in line, I decided to ask Ms. Bookworm, if she had read this book. She said that she had skimmed through it but that it didn’t really hold her attention. Now I had never heard of Jimi Izrael but what the hell, there’s a lotta stuff that I’ve never heard of so I decided to check it out, if for the title alone.

In the interests of full disclosure, I’m a bit of an urban myth. I am a black man, married to the same black woman for twenty-three years with two teen-aged sons, both with my wife and both born after we were married. I’m a very traditional guy, kinda old-fashion- ed, if you will, and I am always interested in the tug-of-war that is black male/female relationships.

This brings us to one Jimi Izrael and his book which from the title, I expected to be the usual diatribe about the shortage of black men complete with the now well-known laundry list of the usual reasons why. Well, this is why you don’t judge a book by its cover! What Mr. Izrael provides here is Real Talk. Real Talk that every black woman that says that she wants a man needs to hear. Mr. Izrael dismisses out of hand the notion that black men are the sole reason for the pathologies that affect the black community or that black men as a whole need to be rehabilitated. If anything, the black man may need to hire a new PR firm because the firm of Sister It’s All His Fault LLC, ain’t reppin’ us right! What Mr. Izrael argues is that feminism be damned, the black man needs to re-claim his masculine mind and re-take his rightful place as head of his family. Izrael points out, that feminism has had some unintended consequences, one of which is the destruction of the black family and by extension, the black community. This makes for interesting reading at a time when traditional ideas of manhood are under attack from all quarters. Even more interesting when you realize that the feminization of men in this country is so prevalent that all men, black and white, that proudly wear their machismo as a badge of honor are painted as Neanderthals, scraping their knuckles on the ground as they grab the woman of their desire by the hair. Well, I guess I’ll just have to be that.

Politically, I’m not sure whether Mr. Izrael identifies himself as a conservative or not but much of his book deals with personal responsibility, morals and family values; thinking that is certainly a throwback to a time when the black community appeared to be headed in the right direction. I only hope that when I return this book to the library, it will find its way into the hands (and hearts and minds) of the black women that really need to read this. Maybe Denzel’s picture on the cover will help.

The Last Tradition