Search query: louisiana

Newt Gingrich (Republican): Dramatic, fiery, and heated are all adjectives used by the media to describe last night’s debate, and if you watched it, you know why. Within the first five minutes, Newt Gingrich had already received two standing ovations for his description of the media as destructive, vicious, and negative and his criticism of an “elite media protecting Barack Obama by attacking Republicans.”  Allegations made by his ex-wife abouthis moral character have not prevented him from taki

Today marks the last full day of campaigning before Saturday's South Carolina Primary. After last night's dramatic Presidential Debate, recent polls show former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich overtaking Mitt Romney's lead.  The latest stats have been compiled by the New York Times and Real Clear Politics: Newt Gingrich (35.4%), Mitt Romney (32.7%), Ron Paul (16%), Rick Santorum (12.9%), Buddy Roemer (3%). On the campaign trail January 20, 2012 … Newt Gingrich (Party Preference-Republican)

A periodic review of the current presidential election campaigns: And then there were four. Just two days before the South Carolina primary, Rick Perry publicly announces his withdrawal from the race for presidency, leaving Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum the four standing contenders for the 2012 Republican candidacy. While acknowledging his imperfections, the Texas Governor endorsed former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich by naming him a "conservative leader who can b

Arizona received its fourth unmanned aircraft system (UAS) Tuesday in the form of a Predator-B drone. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials say that the new military aircraft will assist three others based at the National Air Security Operations Center (NASOC) in Sierra Vista with counter-drug trafficking operations and other Homeland Security missions along the Southwest border. According to CBP spokeswoman Gina Gray: "Basing a fourth UAS in Sierra Vista will best posture CBP for rap

On Monday, Secretary of State Debra Bowen officially certified Americans Elect to appear on California's ballots for the 2012 elections.  The addition brings the number of qualified political parties in the state to seven, including the American Independent, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom and Republican parties.  It is the first time a new political entity has been certified by the state since 1995. There are two ways in which a political body can achieve ballot access in the G

The Republican Party's presidential primary race may prove to be a breeding ground for third party and Independent presidential candidates in the 2012 election.  There are no less than four current contenders for the GOP's presidential nomination who may run for president as a third party or Independent candidate:  Ron Paul, Gary Johnson, Jon Huntsman and Buddy Roemer.  And, given the success of Americans Elect in its ongoing effort to obtain ballot access in all fifty states, we may see any num

The average age of farmers and ranchers in America is increasing, and rural populations are in decline. This is why the U.S. Department of Agriculture is acting to plant a new crop of much needed agricultural producers here in California and across the nation. Last week, Ag Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced this year's winners of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) 'Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program' (BFRDP). According to a NIFA news release, a tota

For most environmental organizations, news of an oil pipeline approved in their backyard would be tantamount to war.  But not for the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) of Santa Barbara, which celebrated the announcement this week that a pipeline would soon replace barging from Venoco’s oil drilling platforms off the Santa Barbara Coast. According to a news release from the EDC, Venoco will commence construction of the pipeline this fall and cease its barging operations in the spring.     “W

A multi-partisan group of former elected officials is seeking to place a constitutional amendment on the 2012 ballot that would replace Arizona’s current semi-closed primary with a top-two open primary system similar to that which was passed by California voters last year. The Open Government Committee, as the newly-formed organization is called, began to take shape earlier this year.  In anop-ed for The Arizona Republic in April, Paul Johnson argued that partisan politics is wrecking our count

In a state where Independents now outnumber registered voters from each of the two major parties, an Arizona State University professor suggests that it may be time for the Grand Canyon State to adopt some form of an open primary system. "Under this arrangement, voters are given the opportunity to choose from all candidates regardless of the voters' or politicians' party affiliation. Candidates are free to indicate their party preferences after their names, but the choice of nominees would no l