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?
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?
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?
How can Republicans attract voters other than old white men?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
If Mitt Romney wants to be president, he's going to need help from voters who aren't old white men.
He's got his work cut out for him.
A Politico piece headlined "Barack Obama's group therapy” describes how the re-election campaign has been reaching out to key voting groups by focusing on issues like the contraception fight, equal pay for women, gay marriage, student loans and immigration policy.
Many Republicans find the president's strategy "very crass." Hey, politics is a crass business.
One GOP pollster told Politico that Romney can win if "Republicans decide that it's OK to look outside the country club for some votes."
For his part, Romney is sticking to his message of the economy, hoping it will appeal to all voters.
The traditional Republican base of white voters is shrinking, and if Romney wants to win, he needs minorities and women.
According to the Politico piece, Republicans traditionally get 87% of their votes from whites.
The problem is, the proportion of white voters in the electorate has dropped from 88% in 1976 to 74% in 2008.
At the same time, minority groups grew from 12% to 26%.
Which explains the Obama camp's targeted voter outreach to groups like women, Hispanics, African-Americans, gays and students.
To be fair, Romney is also doing some outreach of his own.
He'll speak Thursday in Florida to NALEO, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. Later this summer, he'll address the National Convention of the NAACP.
The question is how much credibility he has with these groups. Marco Rubio or Condoleezza Rice could help.
Here’s my question to you: How can Republicans attract voters other than old white men?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Is John Kerry a good fill-in for Mitt Romney?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
John Kerry will play Mitt Romney in debate preparations for the president.
And it's just perfect: one elite, rich, emotionless Massachusetts politician filling in for another.
The Boston Globe first reported that Senator Kerry has been tapped to mimic the presumptive GOP nominee in debate practice.
That means Kerry will do everything from anticipating Romney's answers and his attacks to copying his speaking style and his posture.
Of course Kerry has lots of experience in presidential debates since he faced off against George W. Bush three times in the 2004 campaign. Most people agreed Kerry won those debates even though Bush went on to win the election.
President Obama's senior campaign strategist David Axelrod says Kerry is an expert debater who has mastered a wide range of issues including Romney's Massachusetts.
Kerry has observed Romney's role in Massachusetts politics going back to 1994, so he should be in a good place to point out Romney's weaknesses while governor, especially his economic record.
Axelrod calls Kerry "the obvious choice." Which may be true in more ways than one.
As the Globe notes, critics blast both Kerry and Romney for being aloof and for flip-flopping on major issues.
Plus, they're both rich. Really, really rich. Romney has an estimated net worth of $250 million while Kerry's is at around $193 million.
Meanwhile John Kerry could wind up playing a larger role in a second Obama term if the president manages to win re-election. There's growing speculation that Kerry could take over as Secretary of State if Hillary Clinton leaves as planned.
As for who will play Obama in Romney's debate practice - no word yet.
Here’s my question to you: Is John Kerry a good fill-in for Mitt Romney?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Why is Mitt Romney refusing to answer questions on Obama's new immigration policy?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
When opportunity knocks, it's a good idea to answer the door, especially if you want to be elected the next president.
Last week, President Obama announced that illegal aliens under the age of 30 who have been here since before they were 16 would no longer be deported and would be eligible to apply for work permits if they meet certain requirements.
In doing so, the president handed Mitt Romney a golden chance to score some points with the beleaguered middle class.
With millions of American citizens out of work and unemployment at more than 8%, it was a gift to Romney. But instead of pointing out these things and suggesting that the few jobs being produced should go to American citizens, Romney was silent. Instead of saying immigration is a huge problem that needs to be dealt with, but not at the expense of giving American jobs to illegal immigrants, Romney was silent.
Instead of pointing out that Obama was violating immigration laws and instead is making his own laws when it comes to illegal immigrants, Romney was silent.
In fact, he was given a second chance Sunday by Bob Schieffer on CBS's "Face the Nation," where he was asked five times about this issue. But the best he could do was refuse to answer, dodging the question in the best political tradition.
If Romney wants to be the next president, he should start speaking out for the rule of law and on behalf of American citizens, especially when the choice is as clear as Obama made this.
Here's my question to you: Why is Mitt Romney refusing to answer questions on Pres. Obama's new immigration policy?
Tune in to "The Situation Room" at 5 p.m. ET to see if Jack reads your answer on the air.
And we'd love to know where you're writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
How much trouble is President Obama in?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
If President Barack Obama went to a fortuneteller this week, he might ask for his money back.
In his Washington Post column titled "Pileup at the White House," Dana Milbank writes how Commerce Secretary John Bryson's weekend car crashes - and possible felony hit-and-run charge - are just the latest in a string of bad news for the president.
The list is long.
Stalled job growth, the Wisconsin recall defeat and Attorney General Eric Holder facing a contempt-of-Congress citation over lawmakers’ demands for documents in the "Fast and Furious" gunrunning investigation.
Bill Clinton contradicting the president, Mitt Romney raising more money, Congress squawking about national security leaks they say are coming from the White House and the president himself stupidly saying that the "private sector is doing fine." Really?
Milbank writes that all this adds up to one of the worst stretches of Obama's presidency: "There is a creeping sense that the bottom has fallen out and that there may be no second term."
Milbank says that top officials in the Obama administration privately say they are no longer expecting much economic improvement before the election.
Plus, there could be more bad news for Obama around the bend:
The Supreme Court is expected to rule any day now on the fate of the Affordable Care Act - widely known as “Obamacare” - as well as Arizona's controversial immigration law. Obama has a lot riding on both of these decisions.
With less than five months to go before the election, there's no doubt the president could use some good news.
Working in his favor is the fact that polls show voters like him and he has high favorability ratings, but that might not be enough to prevent him from his own car wreck come November 6.
Here’s my question to you: How much trouble is President Obama in?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 4pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
What impact could the Wisconsin recall election have in November?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Wisconsin's recall election could be a sign of things to come for unions and Democrats. Republican Gov. Scott Walker's victory is a big deal, and here's why:
Walker recognized the ruinous financial path we're on. He did something about it, and he prevailed. Despite howling from liberal critics, voters in Wisconsin stood by the governor and his effort to limit collective bargaining powers for public-sector workers. If Wisconsin gets it, maybe there's hope for the rest of us.
Consider this: Two of California's biggest cities are also backing moves against unions.
San Diego and San Jose voted overwhelmingly this week to cut the pensions of city government workers to save money. If it can happen in California - the bluest of the blue states - maybe it can happen anywhere, such as Washington, D.C.
Even many Californians understand that the costs of government pensions are killing us.
According to CNNMoney.com, the public pension fund gap for police, firefighters, teachers and other city, county and state employees could be as high as $3 trillion, and that doesn't even include the cost of retiree medical care.
Several city governments have already filed for bankruptcy protection, mostly because of pension costs.
Meanwhile, Walker says the recall results mean that it's now "competitive" there come November. This is a state that Barack Obama won by 14 percentage points last time around.
And it's not just Wisconsin. Other big union states might no longer be automatic check-offs for the president.
For example, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is suggesting that his state is "definitely in play."
Here's my question to you: What impact could the Wisconsin recall election have in November?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
When it comes to President Obama, what happened to the magic of 2008?
By CNN's Jack Cafferty:
What a difference four years makes.
When Barack Obama ran for president against Hillary Clinton and John McCain in 2008, he was unstoppable.
He generated the kind of excitement and enthusiasm among voters that is rarely seen in politics. People couldn't get enough of him and his messages of hope, change and "yes, we can."
Four years later, a lot of that optimism and excitement are gone.
"How the mighty have fallen" is how Maureen Dowd describes it in her New York Times column headlined "Dreaming of a Superhero."
"The president who started off with such dazzle now seems incapable of stimulating either the economy or the voters,” she wrote.
The economy remains weak. Friday's dismal jobs report triggered a selloff, and the stock market has now erased all its gains for the year.
As for the voters, a lot of them are disgruntled – including many in the president's own base.
A Forbes column describes how Obama is being left behind by the left wing of his party.
They're frustrated that the president hasn't followed through on key promises like closing Guantanamo Bay, ending the war in Afghanistan or getting tough on Wall Street.
There are anti-Obama e-mails coming from the left that describe a "psychopathic megalomaniac" in the White House and "a cancer in the presidency" – and these are liberals.
Part of this is due to the ugly reality of governing. But you can even see it in the president's campaign events.
There were more than 4,000 empty seats in an Ohio arena that seats 18,000 when the president officially launched his re-election campaign.
That wouldn't have happened four years ago.
Here’s my question to you: When it comes to President Obama, what happened to the magic of 2008?
Tune in to the Situation Room at 4pm to see if Jack reads your answer on air.
And, we love to know where you’re writing from, so please include your city and state with your comment.
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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