Riff-Raff Tuesday

++The final Scotus hearings today. Last night's Rachel Maddow showed a poll that made your heart sink. 8% didn't know how SCOTUS would vote, 15% said they would base their decision on the legal merits, and 75% said on the politics of the judges. I'm deeply afraid the American people are right. But more later if my mood lifts. A survey of both conservative and liberal former Supreme Court judges overwhelmingly still believe the law will pass.


++I guess Mitt Romney showed up at Jay Leno because he and Jay are car buffs. Willard is building an elevator to take his cars underground at his California estate. But his remarks about health insurance should frighten people. Asked about what people with pre-existing conditions over 45 should do about insurance and he basically said they are out of luck. So saith the Slaver Class.


++Willard is taking a break to raise more money to buy attack ads. In Wisconsin, Santorum was in the lead before Romney started buying tons of attack ads and now he is leading. Santorum has been the only Republican to campaign in Wisconsin so far. He should feel better once Romney shows up and Willard's negatives will shine through.


++George H.W.Bush endorsed Romney today. The younger Romney has been a little project of Father Bush since the last election. Bush graciously gave a forum for Romney last time for him to explain his religion. A JFK speech it was not.


++The ABC/Washington Post poll showed why President Obama is currently in the lead. Obama enjoys a 53% favorability rating against 43% negatives. Romney, on the other hand, has a 34% favorability rating and a 50% negative rating. Obama has never been as far down as Romney. Romney's favorable/unfavorable rating is the worse for a major candidate for president of any major party. Only Hillary Clinton dipped to 50% negative rating during the 2008 campaign.


++Quinnipiac polls of swing states shows:
Florida : Obama 49    Romney 42
Ohio:      Obama 47    Romney 41
Pennsylvania: Obama 45  Romney 42


My note and E.J. Dionne picked this up is that the Obama campaign has to watch Pennsylvania. But Romney can not win without Florida and Ohio.


++Our wonderful media missed the story of President Obama in Korea for the second world conference on non-proliferation. The Obama Administration on non-proliferation of nuclear materials has been superb and the number of states who have shipped nuclear materials to safe haven in the United States has doubled in two years.


++But the story was President Obama's open mike remark to Dmitri Medvedev about needing more time on the missile defense negotiation and after election he would be more flexible. 


++So forget Iran--that's old news. Willard Romney jumped on Obama's comments--thereby stepping on Obama's international achievement--and declared that Russia was our number 1 geostrategic threat. Which may come as news to Romney watchers. First, China was the most serious threat. Then in the conservative newsletter Human Events Romney claimed Iran was the greatest threat since the Soviet Union. That's a lot of threats. And today Romney had an op-ed that Obama was surrendering to Vladimir Putin--sort of like Obama apologizes all the time. John Boehner actually did the decent thing and criticized Romney for attacking the President when he was overseas. But John McCain supported Romney's remarks.


++Dmitri Medvedev slammed the Republican nominees, saying we weren't in the 1980s anymore. "The Cold War is over". Well, not for people like John McCain who still wants to liberate South Ossetia. 


++For people of California, a recent poll shows Obama with a 57-36 lead over Romney--the native son of California,Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Utah. So far it looks like Willard will only win his Vatican--Utah.


++Yes, Scott Walker is being recalled in Wisconsin. Two days ago polls showed he would lose to any of the Democratic candidates. Yesterday, the polls showed he would edge out all the Democratic candidates.