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United States News Title: Analysis: GOP has 'three-person race' after straw poll After a busy weekend in Iowa and South Carolina, the Republican presidential race moves forward with what looks to be a three-way contest among upstart Michele Bachmann, newcomer Rick Perry and perceived frontrunner Mitt Romney. Bachmann, a U.S. House member from Minnesota, seeks momentum after winning the Iowa GOP straw poll — a prelimimary contest that knocked former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty out of the race after a disappointing third place finish. Meanwhile, the Republican race got a new and potentially formidable candidate in Perry, the Texas governor who announced his bid Saturday before a conservative group in South Carolina. At some point, both Bachmann and Perry figure to go after Romney, whose campaign war chest make him the frontrunner at this point. "We've got a three-person race now," said Stuart Rothenberg, publisher of a non-partisan political report. "Romney, Perry and Bachmann." Celebrating her straw poll win, Bachmann made the circuit of Sunday interview shows to cite the victory as evidence she can capture the White House in 2012. "People in Iowa sent a message loud and clear to President Obama," Bachmann told CNN's State of the Union. "They said we are done with your policies. We want something very different." Bachmann also welcomed Perry to the race. Perry spoke before the RedState Gathering in Charleston, S.C., pledging to lower taxes and reduce business regulations, while accusing Obama of "downgrading" the economy and "our standing in the world." Bidding for conservative votes, Perry said, "I'll promise you this: I'll work every day to try to make Washington, D.C., as inconsequential in your life as I can." The Iowa straw poll, a fundraising tool for the state's Republican Party, focused attention on the race that officially begins with the Iowa caucuses, tentatively set for Feb. 6. That date could change depending on when other states schedule their contests. Meanwhile, the Republican candidates will engage in a series of debates throughout the rest of this year. Perry figures to make his debate debut on Sept. 7 at the Ronald Reagan library in Simi Valley, Calif. Republican candidates Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Herman Cain are also seeking the Republican presidential nomination. Then there's the wild card. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, the party's vice presidential nominee in 2008, says she still hasn't decided whether to seek the presidency in 2012. Obama aides and other Democrats said Bachmann's win in the Iowa straw poll — as well as a second-place finish by Paul, a former Libertarian presidential candidate — shows that the Republicans are more interested in Tea Party conservatives than in middle class independents. Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said, "the Republican field has doubled down in their effort to court the most ideological faction of their party, committing to end Medicare as we know it, erode Social Security, and erase the investments necessary to create the jobs of the future." Perry seen as base's 'darling' Romney is considered the Republican frontrunner because of his fundraising lead and campaign experience. He was a runner-up to John McCain in the 2008 nomination battle. The former Massachusetts governor is also the primary target of the Democrats, who taunted him Sunday over Perry's entry into the race. The Democratic National Committee e-mailed a photo of the Boston Herald's front page, featuring a picture of Perry and the headline, "Mitt's Worst Nightmare." The text described the Texas governor as a "darling" of the GOP base, a "master fundraiser," and as having a "strong jobs record." Romney, Perry and Bachmann will presumably seek the endorsement of Pawlenty, who had banked on a stronger finish in the Iowa straw poll. Announcing his withdrawal Sunday on ABC's This Week, Pawlenty said "the pathway forward for me doesn't really exist." Rothenberg said he sees the Republican race unfolding in two acts during the months ahead. In Act One, Perry and Bachmann battle to become "the social conservative, Tea Party alternative" to Romney. "Then Act Two will follow," he said. ROTFL ... someone is missing.
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#1. To: buckeroo (#0)
Could it be any more obvious? Another Missing Persons List: Another representative's staff member said those invited had no choice. If they don't go, AIPAC will target them for removal, and most likely succeed. "The staffer said that the Israel Lobby is far too powerful to ignore and that American voters have no knowledge of what's going on" because major media reports won't say. The Jerusalem Post covered this story. So did Lebanon's Daily Star, other foreign media, Commentary magazine, and the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, explaining the elaborately planned "dog and pony show" messaging. In contrast, it was practically ignored by America's corporate media, including The New York Times. The Washington Post discussed it on page 13, omitting important details.
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