How does today's health care ruling affect your opinion of the Supreme Court?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
The Supreme Court reminded us all in an instant Thursday morning what an enormous impact these nine justices can have on the lives of millions of Americans.
And what came as a surprise to many was that Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee, broke with the conservatives and sided with the court's liberal justices in favor of Obamacare and the individual mandate.
In a way it was curiously refreshing, whether you agree with the court's decision or not.
That's because many have come to believe that politics have played an outsize role in the high court's decisions in recent years. It probably really got going in 2000, with Bush v. Gore, which effectively handed the presidency to Bush.
Then two years ago came the Citizens United ruling allowing unlimited spending by corporations and unions on elections as long as it's independent of campaigns.
Whatever the reasons, there has been a marked decline in the Supreme Court's approval rating.
A recent poll found 44% of Americans approve of how the high court handles its job - down from 80% in 1994.
The New York Times/CBS Poll shows an overwhelming 76% of those surveyed say the Supreme Court justices sometimes let their personal or political views influence their decisions. Only 13% think the court's decisions are based only on legal analysis.
But the court's critical ruling Thursday might move the needle once again when it comes to how we view the highest court in the land.
Here’s my question to you: How does today's health care ruling affect your opinion of the Supreme Court?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Where do political contributions rank on your list of spending priorities?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Many Americans are hurting - big-time - from a lousy economy. But that doesn't stop the politicians, shameless creatures that they are, from holding their hands out for campaign donations. It's an election year after all.
The latest scheme comes courtesy of President Obama who wants people to give him money in lieu of giving graduation, anniversary, wedding, birthday, bar mitzvah gifts, etc.
This new fund-raising tool lets those who want to contribute set up a gift registry to solicit donations from their friends and loved ones to give to Obama. This in lieu of a gift for your birthday or wedding. The name for this is chutzpah.
The website suggests this is a "great way to support the president on your big day. Plus, it's a gift that we can all appreciate - and goes a lot further than a gravy bowl." Sure.
As you can imagine, critics and comedians are having a heyday with this.
Jimmy Kimmel suggests it's a "great way for people to lie about getting you a present."
And one guy writes on the campaign's website: "M y 6-year-old just lost a lower incisor. he's going to be so excited when the Tooth Fairy leaves him an obama-biden donation receipt in his name."
Meanwhile the president, Mitt Romney, and the rest of them go right on asking Americans to give them money at a time when millions of Americans can't find a job and 28% of us have no emergency savings.
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Should the same three states - Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania - be able to determine the outcome of every presidential election?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Fresh new polls are out today in the battleground states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida - states that went for President Obama in 2008 but are expected to be toss-ups in November.
The Quinnipiac polls show Obama leading Mitt Romney by four points in Florida, 45% to 41%, which is within the poll's sampling error. The president is helped out here with strong support from Florida's Latinos.
In Pennsylvania, the president leads Romney by six points, 45% to 39%, his lead bolstered by a strong gender gap. Mr. Obama leads Romney by 12 points among women in Pennsylvania.
And in Ohio, the president is up nine points, 47% to 38%, once again with a big gender gap.
History suggests Obama will almost certainly win a second term if he can keep the lead in all three of these key swing states through Election Day.
In every presidential election since 1960, the winning candidate for president has carried at least two of the three. These three states combined have 67 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
But the word "battleground" has a special meaning in some cases.
Remember the hanging chads in 2000? The Supreme Court wound up deciding the election because Florida was mired in an antiquated system that kept the vote count there in question for weeks.
And then there's Ohio. Remember the voting machine fiasco in 2004?
You could make an argument that until they learn how to do it, Florida and Ohio shouldn't be allowed to vote in any more presidential elections.
But the fact is, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania hold the keys to the White House – and that's a fact, Jack.
And right now things are looking pretty good for Obama.
Here’s my question to you: Should the same three states - Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania - be able to determine the outcome of every presidential election?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Economists give the president and Congress a 'D' on the economy. How would you grade them?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
President Obama and Congress get a big fat "D" when it comes to their handling of the economy.
CNNMoney asked 20 economists to grade our leaders, and both the president and Congress received "D" averages.
It's hard to imagine any other profession where you could perform at this level and keep your job.
These experts say Congress is more interested in scoring political points than in helping the economy. They're also worried about the so-called fiscal cliff and the looming disaster if Congress can't get its act together.
But Congress doesn't seem too worried about any of this. Bloomberg news reports that congressional leaders may delay the $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts until March. These cuts are scheduled to start in January.
At the same time they might temporarily extend income tax cuts and other tax breaks.
In other words, kick the can down the road some more without making any serious choices. That "D" grade is looking a little generous.
Meanwhile, ordinary Americans continue to suffer under the weak economy.
A new survey shows 28% of Americans have no emergency savings. Nothing. Zero.
The general rule of thumb is to have enough savings to cover at least six months of expenses. Only one in four people have that.
And just last week Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he expects the unemployment rate to remain above 8% through the end of the year.
The real absurdity is Congress and the president will look at you with a straight face and tell you how they think they deserve to be re-elected.
Here’s my question to you: Economists give the president and Congress a "D" on the economy. How would you grade them?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How can we restore confidence in our public schools?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Americans' confidence in public schools is at a 40-year low.
A new Gallup Poll shows only 29% of those surveyed say they have "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in public schools.
That's down 5-points from last year.
And it's down from 58% who had confidence in the country's public schools when gallup first asked the question in 1973.
It should come as no surprise that Americans have lost faith in our schools when you take a look at the dismal state of education.
One international assessment of 34 countries shows the U.S. ranking 25th in math, 17th in science and 14th in reading.
Many of our students graduate high school without the skills they need to survive in a global marketplace: things like reading, writing and math.
Meanwhile there seems to be little - if any - accountability when it comes to our schools and our teachers.
Just last month in the Cafferty File we told you about how Florida lowered the passing grade on the writing portion of a standardized test - after students' scores plunged.
And the latest example comes courtesy of New York.
State lawmakers voted to shield the job-performance reviews for hundreds of thousands of individual teachers from the general public. Instead - the new law allows parents to see scores only for their child's current teacher.
Supporters say it's the right balance between the educational needs of the students and the parents' and teachers' rights.
What about the public who pays these teachers' salaries? Aren't we entitled to know who's cutting it and who isn't? Yes, we are.
Credit the political muscle of the teachers unions with stifling another attempt to restore accountability.
Here’s my question to you: How can we restore confidence in our public schools?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What does it mean if nearly half of Americans can't name President Obama's religion?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Nearly half of Americans can't name President Obama's religion.
A new Gallup Poll shows only 34% of those surveyed correctly say that Obama is a Christian.
11% say he's a Muslim.
8% say Mr. Obama doesn't have a religious affiliation.
And a stunning 44% say they don't know what he is.
Where have these people been living?
President Obama has been in office for three and a half years and went through a grueling campaign to get there. A campaign during which his former minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and his controversial sermons played a key role.
It's just one more example of how uninformed many of us are.
Of course people who don't like the president continue to raise questions about both his religion and his birth place. And it seems that their efforts could be convincing – or at least confusing – some Americans.
The Gallup Poll also found a partisan gap here: Democrats are more likely than Republicans to correctly name the president's religion. In fact, 18% of Republicans say the president is a Muslim. That's nearly 1 in 5 Republicans.
The poll shows Independents are closer to Republicans than to Democrats when it comes to their knowledge of Obama's religion. That might not help the president in November.
Interestingly Americans are more likely to correctly name Mitt Romney's religion. Romney is a Mormon. Only 33% say they don't know that.
Some of that increased awareness when it comes to Romney is no doubt because he ran for president four years ago. A great deal was made of his being a Mormon back then.
Here’s my question to you: What does it mean if nearly half of Americans can't name President Obama's religion?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
How much does Mitt Romney's v.p. pick matter?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
While Mitt Romney intensifies his search for a running mate, it remains to be seen how much his #2 pick will even matter.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio kept mum on NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday about whether Romney will choose him.
Rubio previously said he's not interested in being vice president; but now he says he's not talking about it anymore.
Romney has said Rubio is definitely in the mix of possibilities, pushing back against a report last week that Rubio wasn't being vetted.
Meanwhile another report suggests the Romney campaign is also vetting Wisconsin Congressman and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan.
Some Republican kingmakers told The Hill newspaper who they think Romney should pick.
Several of them mention Rubio as their top choice. Other names include: Republican Senators Rob Portman and Rand Paul, Congressman Ryan, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez.
Not on that list: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who over the weekend said he thinks he can best help Romney as a "volunteer and surrogate speaker."
There's also New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who would bring a little Tabasco Sauce to an otherwise pretty bland omelet.
Candidates usually name their running mate right around the Convention; but some believe Romney might jump early and name his number two before the Republican National Convention in Tampa in late August.
It's a way to rev up the base, generate more buzz, increase media attention and bring in fundraising dollars earlier in the campaign.
VP candidates sometimes help win their home state but others say the most important quality is to "do no harm." See Sarah Palin in 2008.
Here’s my question to you: How much does Mitt Romney's v.p. pick matter?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What does it mean if most of the world’s excess body fat is in the U.S.?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Most of the world's extra body fat is attached to bodies living right here in the U.S.
New data from the UN and the World Health Organization shows that the entire adult global population is nearly 17 million tons overweight.
And researchers in London found that while the average global body weight is 137 pounds, the average weight in North America is 178 pounds.
In other words we are 41 pounds heavier on average than the rest of the world.
Not shocking since 2/3 of the U.S. is either overweight or obese. But wait, there's more:
While North America has only 6% of the world's population, it makes up a third of the world's weight due to obesity.
Compare that to Asia which has 61% of the world's population but only 13% of its weight due to obesity.
One researcher tells the BBC that if every country had the same fatness we have in the U.S. it would be like an extra billion people of average weight.
And scientists say this global fatness is a real concern. It's straining the world's food supply and environmental resources. Fatter people need more energy - and they eat more.
This means the competition for environmental resources isn't always about population growth, "when it comes down to it, it's not how many mouths there are to feed, it is how much flesh there is on the planet." And we've got plenty of flesh to spare here.
Experts suggest the best way to fight global fatness is programs that encourage more physical activity - like walking and cycling.
Here’s my question to you: What does it mean if most of the world’s excess body fat is in the U.S.?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Why is Obama-Romney sooo boring?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
If the 2008 presidential race was an election on steroids, the 2012 presidential race might be on Quaaludes.
Let's face it: The Obama-Romney face-off is shaping up to be a real snooze.
To be fair, it's hard to compete with the excitement of 2008: the fight to the death between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the historic nature of Obama's matchup with John McCain and the added wild card that was Sarah Palin.
This time around we had Mitt Romney battling a series of candidates who were hard to take seriously such as Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum. And now Romney seems poised to pick a vanilla vice president.
As for Obama, much of the hope and change has drained out of him after 3 1/2 years. Joe Biden's about the only interesting thing going for the Democratic ticket.
Critics slam both Obama and Romney for being elitists, aloof and out of touch with ordinary Americans. That's because they are.
Obama often comes off as an Ivy League professor and Romney as a rich businessman. All this makes it increasingly difficult for the public to gin up much enthusiasm for this contest.
Roger Simon has a hilarious piece in Politico about this boring race. He asks: Where's the fun?
"Where is the sheer heart-pounding, loin-stirring, thrill-going-up-the-leg tingle that is the hallmark of a U.S. presidential race?"
Simon points out that U.S. politics has always been entertaining - going back to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
He suggests some off-the-wall tickets that could bring excitement back to this race.
Like Hillary Clinton/Bill Clinton, Barack Obama/Michelle Obama and last but not least - John Edwards/Roger Clemens.
Simon writes the latter are both survivors who know how to win and how to game the system. The potential slogan: "You think we're liars? Takes one to know one."
Here’s my question to you: Why is Obama-Romney sooo boring?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What has the economy forced you to give up?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Growing signs that the troubled economy keeps taking its toll on Americans in ways both big and small.
Nearly 7 million homes gave up cable or satellite TV last year - mostly due to the lingering recession.
A survey by GFK media shows that younger Americans, minorities and poor people dropped cable TV in the highest numbers - opting for broadcast or free TV only.
Industry insiders had worried people would dump cable TV in favor of online TV options but according to this survey, most people are cutting the cord because they need to cut costs.
Of course millions of Americans have been forced to cut much more than cable - including their homes, cars, vacations, grocery bills and medical care.
It's no surprise when you consider the drastic collapse in Americans' net worth.
A CNN/Money analysis of Census Bureau data shows that without including home equity, median household net worth fell by 25% from 2005 to 2010. When you include housing, the loss was 35%.
The great recession has wiped out nearly 30 years of net worth gains for the typical household. 30 years.
Once again, some groups are hit harder than others. Asian, black and Hispanic households lost about 60% of their net worth compared to 30% for whites. Young Americans also lost a bigger share of their wealth than their parents.
Lastly, more bad news for the struggling job market.
A Labor Department report shows the number of job openings fell in April.
The drop means there are 3.7 unemployed people looking for jobs for each opening.
Here’s my question to you: What has the economy forced you to give up?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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