Read My Lips--No New Texans

++Rick Perry was on the campaign trail in Iowa attacking Mitt Romney's record for job creation. But his own record is getting plenty of scrutiny from the likes of Paul Krugman who challenges his numbers and points to states in the Northeast actually doing better. Perry also declared that Social Security was a Ponzi-scheme, the teabagger line, and was unconstitutional even though it was a Republican dominated Supreme Court in 1937, which upheld it. Perry also declined to say whether he was carrying a concealed weapon while campaigning. Bill Clinton loved Rick Perry's announcement and commented he looked handsome but his views on government are scary.

++Rick Perry also slammed President Obama, saying "I think you want a President who is passionate about America--that's in love with America." So in love, they threaten to secede. That's pretty patriotic.

++The Wall Street Journal worried today about the entire Republican field, especially with Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann gaining popularity. On Romney, they raised doubts about Mitt as a weak front-runner who has money and campaign experience and looks Presidential. "But he gives little evidence that he has convictions beyond faith in his own technocratic experience.." They opined that maybe another candidate will enter the field. Well, Rudy still says he might enter the fray.

++Karl Rove appeared on Fox to say," You don't want these candidates moving so right in the Republican primary that it becomes impossible for them to win the general election, because it will become a self-defeating message." He didn't single any particular person out but is he abit nervous that the teabaggers have slipped the leash?

++With President Obama's approval rating in Gallup dipping to 39% for the first time in his Presidency,it's useful to read Steve Singiser's piece in www.dailykos.com on what the 50 state Gallup poll means for the 2012 elections. It's alot of fun if you are a political junky. He points out that both Harry Truman and George W. Bush won re-election with approvals below 50%. But he's more interesting in terms of his views on swing states and puts a few new states in the mix. He points to Georgia and Arizona as possible pick-ups for Obama, while Obama loses some of his past gains. He has results for a Obama win and an Obama loss with the possible states.

++I read another interesting blog today about a Democratic Party gathering in North Dakota. The blogger was shocked to find that Organizing for America, Obama's campaign group, have set up shop there and in South Dakota. Apparently, this is happening in other states as well that didn't go for Obama last time.

++The Debt Ceiling Debate scared American corporations and they have personally been reaching out to President Obama to find ways that taxes can be raised on the super-rich. Warren Buffett in a NYTimes op-ed repeated his position that his tax rate is far below--now over 20 of his employees--before it was just his poor secretary. He calls for an increase of taxes on the top .5%. President Obama also has met with leading corporations about job creation in the next few months.

++President Obama let loose on the campaign trail today. While he started with his rambling answers at a Townhall meeting in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, he did zero in on the Republican field. He made special reference to all Republican candidates not endorsing a debt deal which would have 10 cuts for every $1 in revenue raised. He also emphasized the McColm position that Social Security has nothing to do with the national debt. He rejected my position of saving Social Security until 2175, saying that 75 years is enough for planning. He referred back to the Reagan-Foley deal that saved Social Security for 75 years. That entailed raising the FICA tax and raising the retirement age by a year or two in incremental steps. He did emphasize that Social Security is not an entitlement plan, you paid for it. Bravo!

++President Obama also outlined how the United States got into the debt situation we did--two wars and a prescription drug plan and tax cuts we didn't pay for. He also emphasized that the Iraq War was the first in American history that we made no provisions to cover its cost. Touche.

++He said that our national debt was manageable and that we can stimulate the economy in the short-run while cutting our debt in the long-term.

++Since Rick Perry wants to make Washington irrevelant to your life, President Obama wants us not to confuse government with politics. He insisted they are two different things. The government is our military fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the FEMA folks who show up at natural disasters,Social Security,teachers, firefighters and policemen, the people who keep our drinking water clean and the people in the ranger's hats at our national parks. He said that government protects us, built the interstate highway system,put a man on the Moon, and invests in new technologies and medical breakthroughs.

++He also answered a question about what would happen to the Affordable Health Care Act if the individuial mandate was repealed. While he fudged on the competing courts' decisions, he mentioned all the aspects of the Act--from no more caps, insurance for your child to 26, no pre-conditions, etc., which would stay in place.

++President Obama went geek also. He emphasized his rural broadband and wireless initiative that got funding in the Recovery Act, something I wrote at the time was the equivalent of the Rural Electrification Act of FDR's time. He also underscored how he capitalized more small and moderate farms through the Recovery Act and is looking to do more. And he went on his riff about alternative energy sources. I love this stuff the best but I thought it got him off message.

++There are a couple of wonky pieces today that show the Affordable Healthcare Act actually lowered Medicare costs this past year. No one could quite explain the drop of a 9% rise in costs to suddenly a 4% increase this year. Apparently, it is the result of health providers trying to implement certain features of the Healthcare bill early. If you will recall, it was asserted by President Obama that the bill would cut $1 trillion in healthcare costs over 10 years. Maybe it would.

++The Pentagon is gearing up for new budget cuts with the outline of a proposal to reform military pensions and healthcare benefits. If you recall, if the Supercommission can't not reach a debt deal, two triggers would start--cuts in military spending and Medicare cuts. In anticipating this, the military is acting early.

++Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann have discovered the wonders of campaigning without alot of media scrutiny. CNN is basically creaming itself on the Perry campaign. After all isn't all politics about who wins and who loses? Michelle Bachmann has turned a leaf in her book by simply ignoring anything she said in the past. The most obvious issue is about gays, where she has a lifetime of condemning gays but now claims she is not running for judge. Mitt Romney himself has been almost invisible,leading Haley Barbour to say it's time for him to suit up and hit the field.

++Ann Coulter has agreed to be the Queen of Fabulousness by becoming the honorary chair of GOProud.

++There is a rumble about whether David Plouffe and Bill Daley want President Obama to be confrontational with the Republicans or conciliatory. The idea is for President Obama to solidify his gains among independents by remaining the reasonable one. Others have argued that President Obama should roll out his job creation ideas whether they would win congressional approval or not. No one seems to get a handle on what Plouffe and Daley said. I say go for the American Infrastructure Bank even if it fails. One, you then own a good idea. Secondly, you play to those who most benefit from the idea. And let congressional Republicans knock it down.

++For the many of you who voiced concerns about Tim Pawlenty, his staff looks like they will be joining Jon Huntsman team, which is headed by John Weaver. TPaw himself sort of dismissed his willingness about being vice-president, saying he was down that road before, alluding to John McCain's interest in him. But he did say he was interested in the Minnesota Senate race.