In Texas, even the Governor's pocket tweets are awesome

Engaging in social media can be a double-edged sword for politicians (Exhibit A: Former Senator Scott Brown's infamous "bqwhatevr" tweets).

Texas Governor Rick Perry sent out a very concise one-character tweet this afternoon...

Romney: "If last night was the party, this morning is the hangover."

The Democratic National Convention started as our national debt crossed the $16 trillion threshold, and the morning after it ended, we have yet another depressing jobs report.

Unemployment fell to 8.1% from 8.3%, but that number is not actually a measure of new jobs created (or "saved or created," as the Obama administration likes to say), but rather how many Americans have given up looking for work.

In fact, as Reuters reported, "the labor force participation rate, or the percentage of Americans who either have a job or are looking for one, fell to 63.5 percent -- the lowest since September 1981."

Mitt Romney released a statement in response to the latest jobs report, calling it the "hangover" after the "party" of the Democratic National Convention:

Want jobs in your state? Vote Republican.

If something happens once, it's probably a fluke. Twice, might be a coincidence. Seventeen times? Well, that might be worth studying.

On Friday, Examiner.com published an analysis of the unemployment rate in the seventeen states that elected new Republican governors in 2010, noting that every single one of these states had seen an improvement in their jobs rate:

Rubio may have solution for gridlock on jobs bills

Earlier this week, I posted an interview with Representative Sandy Adams, in which she expressed House Republicans' frustrations about how they had passed over twenty jobs bills, but the Senate had yet to approve any of them, or even allow them to be discussed.

Well, at least two Senators are willing to start the ball rolling. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, teaming up with Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware) in a bipartisan effort, has sponsored the "American Growth, Recovery, Empowerment, and Entrepreneurship Act" - aka "The AGREE Act." 

Sandy Adams: "We have jobs bills sitting over in the Senate" [VIDEO]

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to interview Congresswoman Sandy Adams at her office in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Adams is one of only fifteen members of Congress who have yet to miss a vote this year. (See Frank Torres' blog about this accomplishment here.)

Several of those votes Adams has taken were for the more than two dozen jobs bills that the House has passed, but have yet to become law.

Why? Because the Senate Democratic Leadership refuses to even discuss them, never mind actually voting on them.

"999 Means Jobs Jobs Jobs!"

Here is Herman Cain's new radio ad, which just went into heavy rotation on The Rush Limbaugh Show starting today:

Headed in the Right Direction

Here's something cool...jobs numbers that are actually positive!

Governor Rick Scott posted the latest employment figures on his website, showing that Florida’s unemployment rate for September was 10.6 percent, down 1.3 percentage points since he took office.

This year shows a positive overall trend: Florida reduced the number of government jobs by 17,900 and added 110,300 private sector jobs for a net job gain of 92,400:

"Thanks, George!" Love, Obama

In case you missed it, I wrote a post about a month ago debunking the myth that George LeMieux was a "conservative" during his few months in the Senate:

Sunshine State Sarah | Reality check on LeMieux's "conservative" voting record 

Well, looks like I have an addendum to that post. Check out this press release from the Adam Hasner campaign earlier this week...it doesn't sound so conservative when Obama is thanking LeMieux for breaking ranks with Republicans, does it?

Scott Plakon: "Government Creates a Business Headwind" [VIDEO]

Here's State Representative Scott Plakon discussing the oppressive effect of government regulations on small businesses:


YouTube | TheFCTA | Government Creates a Business Headwind

Allen West's Weekly Video Address

Congressman Allen West has started releasing weekly video addresses. Here's the latest edition, in which West critiques Obama's so-called "jobs" bill and discusses a variety of topics including the economy, the NLRB vs. Boeing dispute, the upcoming vote at the United Nations regarding Palestine, and his support for Israel:


YouTube | AllenWestFL | West's Weekly Video Address 9/16/2011

You can help Allen West's reelection campaign for only the cost of a postage stamp, by signing a petition to put West on the ballot (link here). Until redistricting is complete, a registered voter anywhere in Florida can sign a petition for a Congressional or state legislative candidate.

More about that awesome Ford ad

Last week, I posted a great Ford commercial in which a customer named "Chris" states that one of the reason that he bought a Ford truck was because the company was "standing on their own" instead of taking government bailouts like GM and Chrysler.

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air has an excellent write-up about the commercial, including a followup video from Chris:

Morning Coffee Reading for September 12, 2011

Here's your morning coffee reading for today:

• L'affaire de Greer continues to burn, and it hasn't escaped the notice of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In a recent post, the DSCC lands some devastating blows on George LeMieux, including link after link after link to news articles showing the years of connections between LeMieux, former Governor (and former Republican) Charlie Crist, and former RPOF Chairman Jim Greer:

DSCC | Adam Hasner Says You Broke The Law. What Say You, George LeMieux? --& (Crickets)

• The New York special election to fill Anthony Weiner's Congressional seat is shaping up to be more of a challenge than the Democrats expected:

Michelle Malkin | Doug Powers | Race to Replace Anthony Weiner Update: Poll Finds Republican Leading by 6 Points

RedState | PPP (D) Poll: Turner (R)/Weprin (D) 47/41 in NY-09

I think the next car I buy will be a Ford

Here's why:


YouTube | Ford Drive One: "Press Conference: Chris" Commercial

Obama has a campaign plan. Ted Cruz has a JOBS plan.

Texas Senate candidate Ted Cruz introduced his twelve-step "Jobs and Growth Agenda" earlier this week, winning praise from conservative stalwarts like Senator Jim DeMint.

Today, the day after President Zero's campaign stunt alleged jobs speech, the Cruz campaign has released a video in response. Quite a contrast, hmmm?

YouTube | Ted Cruz for Senate | America Needs Jobs

More information available at the Ted Cruz for Senate website.

Reactions to Obama's Jobs Speech

Last night, President Zero gave a campaign speech jobs speech. I've collected the reactions of several Republicans to our Teleprompter-Reader-in-Chief ordering Congress to "pass this bill right away!" 

Read and watch the videos, after the jump:

Morning Coffee Reading for September 9, 2011

Here's your morning coffee reading for today:

• Yesterday was a sad day for Florida Republicans, as RPOF Chairman David Bitner died after a valiant battle with ALS. Saint Petersblog has done an excellent job collecting messages from leaders around the state in reaction to Bitner's passing:

Saint Petersblog | Rest in peace, Mr. Chairman: RPOF's Dave Bitner has died after battle with ALS

• Texas Senate candidate Ted Cruz released his twelve step "Jobs and Growth Agenda" earlier this week, and posted some of the reactions to it on his campaign website's blog. I'm thrilled that my blog post was quoted right after conservative stalwart Senator Jim DeMint:

Ted Cruz | Blog | Sen. DeMint, Others Weigh in on Jobs and Growth Agenda

• The myth that moderates are more "electable" is debunked in this American Thinker article, with a discussion of the 1964 Goldwater-Johnson race, the 1980 Reagan-Carter race, and several recent Senate races:

The Road to Hell is Paved with 'Electable' Candidates

Dear Republican candidates, please plagiarize from Ted Cruz

Texas Senate candidate Ted Cruz had a conference call for bloggers earlier today, to discuss a new "Growth and Jobs Agenda" plan he published today at National Review Online and answer our questions.

The plan (also available at www.tedcruz.org/jobsandgrowth) has twelve steps.  Contrasting himself with the Obama administration, Cruz stated that he believes that "government doesn't create jobs, but it can kill jobs," characterized the first six steps of his plan as defensive against the President's "war on jobs," and the last six as proactive, designed to spur growth and stimulate job creation in the private sector. 

Here's the twelve steps in a nutshell, but make sure to read the full article:

Morning Coffee Reading for September 2, 2011

Here's your morning coffee reading for today:

• Sweet. I'm number one again on the list of "Florida's Top Political Tweeters." Well, technically I'm tied for first with Progress Florida, but I think they have several people working that account and I'm just little ol' me, so I'm going to go ahead and declare victory. High five to State Representative Scott Plakon, who improved his score an amazing 27 points, making him the 2nd highest ranked politician, right after Allen West.

Saint Petersblog | Florida's Top Political Tweeters for September

• The Jim Greer situation continues to slog on through the courts and the media, causing nightmares for a number of Florida politicians, including Florida Senate candidate George LeMieux:

Miami Herald | Jim Greer TV Tell-all is bad news for George LeMieux 

And that's bad news for LeMieux as he runs in a crowded Republican primary where he's trying to shake the legacy of calling himself and acting like a "Charlie Crist Republican." Judging by the first night's installment, the TV piece won't have much new in it. But it raises the issue of Greer and it specifically highlighted LeMieux, thereby making the old story news again. And campaigns are all about examining a candidate's past to help determine his future. 

LeMieux has tried to distance himself from his old boss (and Greer) by saying that Crist drifted left after he left the governor's office as chief of staff. But Greer told us a while back that he inked a little-known $10,000 monthly Republican Party of Florida contract — ultimately worth $150,000 — to pay LeMieux to continue giving Crist advice through a company called MTC Strategies. 

Greer owes a measure of his chairmanship to LeMieux, who was Crist's top campaign and gubernatorial advisor early on and therefore rounded up the votes on the Republican Executive Committee of RPOF to help make Greer chairman.