With the latest polls showing Santorum at double digits in Iowa for the first time, his SuperPAC is adding $150k to its Iowa air buy, via Politico:
The Daily's Dan Hirschhorn reports that a pro-Santorum super PAC is doubling its media buy in Iowa:
The Super PAC, the Red White and Blue Fund, is adding $150,000 to its initial $200,000 buy, according to a person familiar with the buy. This gives Santorum a bigger presence on the Iowa airwaves than any candidate other than Rick Perry and Ron Paul...
Santorum also picks up HuckPac's former grassroots Iowa organizer Shelley Ahlersmeyer:
Shelley Ahlersmeyer, the grassroots coordinator for Mike Huckabee’s political action committee, today joined Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign.
“The way Shelley works, we don’t consider her one person, she’s more like having a hundred people,” Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, said in a written statement.
Iowans who are fans of Huckabee, the winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses, might be familiar with Ahlersmeyer, an Indiana Republican who did Iowa work for HuckPAC. -- Des Moines Register blog
In their 2011 State of Our Unions report (When Baby Makes Three: How Parenthood Makes Life Meaningful, and How Marriage Makes Parenthood Bearable) W. Bradford Wilcox and Elizabeth Marquardt found, like other researchers, that parenthood is typically associated with lower levels of marital happiness among contemporary couples. But that is not the whole picture by any means, as they explain in the following excerpt from the report, subtitled, "Family Size, Faith, and the Meaning of Parenthood".
Given the negative association between marital happiness and parenthood, one might expect that the least happy husbands and wives would be parents of large families. Not so.
In a striking finding, it turns out that the relationship between family size and marital happiness is not linear, but curvilinear (see Figure A1). In other words, according to the Survey of Marital Generosity, the happiest husbands and wives among today’s young couples are those with no children and those with four or more children.
14. (ASKED OF LEANED REPUBLICANS) Regardless of who you may support, which of the Republican candidates do you trust most to handle "social issues, such as abortion and gay marriage"
Mitt Romney: 26%
Newt Gingrich: 15%
Ron Paul: 12%
Michele Bachmann: 13%
Rick Perry: 7%
Rick Santorum: 4%
...The new Rasmussen Reports survey of Iowa caucus participants shows Romney on top with 25% of the vote followed by Paul at 20% and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 17%. Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, both at 10%, are the only other candidates in double-digits.
... This poll reflects the highest level of support yet measured for Romney and Paul. It’s also by far the best result yet for Santorum who on Tuesday received an endorsement from Bob Vander Plaats, a major social conservative leader in Iowa. While the Evangelical Christian vote is very divided at this time, Santorum now picks up 19% of it, more than any other candidate. Romney is close behind at 18%.
Tom Emmer sat down with Fox News 100.3 FM radio for a roundtable discussion to talk about his experience with Hamline that is generating a great deal of attention:
Here's a partial transcript of Emmer's comments:
"...I’ve got emails from the university confirming that I was teaching and I’d been hired. But that part aside the other part that is interesting. As soon as those emails were put out in the public, all of the sudden the administration stopped talking. Which is probably good on their part because the recognize you don’t compound wrong with more wrong by going out and lying publicly that we didn’t have an agreement – we did have an agreement.
But that part aside, God bless the professors, because not only are they intolerant but they’re honest about their intolerance. They’re almost arrogant in their position. There was a gentleman who was quoted, in fact he’s the one I met at my first faculty meeting. Jim, I forget the last name [Bonilla], but Jim was quoted as saying “you’re right, the professors did object to Tom” --- by the way, [Hamline Law Professor] David Schultz, a guy who is supposedly a nonpartisan political commentator in this town. He’s the guy who was quoted in the school newspaper saying that the professors, one of their objections… [Schulz said I] should never be in that position. But he made the statement and it was quoted in writing.
Second, now you’ve got in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, I think it was later in the week you had this Jim come out and say “yeah we had two concerns. One we thought it was a bad business decision for Hamline.” Take a look at the Target example he used from the governor’s race and he said “Second, you know if you hire Tom Emmer, someone with a strident view as he has socially” – by the way, the “strident” view is, I just happen to have the opinion, my own, that marriage should be between one man and one woman. Apparently that’s very “strident” for me to believe that. He said that that has a tendency to make gays and lesbians uncomfortable. My response was this: that’s great. On the business level, perhaps the professors should start cleaning the windows in their ivory towers so they can actually see the business world that surrounds the campus because he clearly can’t. He might do a little research into Target, after that unfortunate incident during the campaign which I thought was very unfair. Target sales actually went up. More importantly, I led the other gubernatorial candidates in the age range 18-35, which professor Jim just happens to be last time I checked the target market for undergraduate students for Hamline and other universities.
So before he makes comments on business issues maybe he should research that and then I gave this, Bob, and then I’ll be done. “Hostile environment for gays and lesbians.” What about for people with my point of view? I said to the guy that asked me. I have people throwing things at me. I’m not allowed to have an opinion? I respect yours, Bob, I respect yours, Sue, but I have my own opinions and I tend to voice them. These people don’t have people throwing things at them. I’ve had people threaten me physically. You saw the email I got this week. I’ll tell you what, I also don’t see people stopping them from working. These guys went out of their way to actually cause their employer to break a contract with me, because of my political views."
Finally some remedial justice applied to Albany corruption:
New York state Sen. Carl Kruger has resigned the office he has held since 1994 and then pleaded guilty to participating in bribery schemes in which he accepted nearly half a million dollars in exchange for taking official actions, according to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.
"With Senator Kruger's guilty plea today, yet another lawmaker-turned-lawbreaker has now been removed from an undeserved position of power in Albany," Bharara said. "Instead of serving the people who elected him, Senator Kruger monetized his public office and served himself. The people of New York expect, deserve and demand honesty and integrity from their public servants. We will not pause in our fight to hold New York's representatives accountable for violating the public's trust, no matter how difficult the challenges presented." -- FOX New York
A reminder that marriage (and divorce) habits of one generation pass themselves on to the next generation's attitudes about the institution:
Interviews about marriage with couples who were living together found that two-thirds were worried about the “legal, emotional and economic consequences” of splitting up later.
Many expressed concerns about the “hassle” of divorce lawyers or arranging child support payments, while others had painful memories of their parents divorcing.
However most respondents insisted they did still want to get married one day, but only once they had met “the one” and were emotionally and financially ready for such a commitment.
Experts say the findings, published in the journal Family Relations, disprove the common belief that the marriage rate is declining because young people do not respect the institution of matrimony.
The paper, by Sharon Sassler and Dela Kusi-Appouh at Cornell University and Amanda Miller and the University of Central Oklahoma, states: “More than two-third of those in our sample expressed views about divorce that were in some way connected to their sentiments regarding marriage. -- UK Telegraph
Gay activists often try to point to the Williams Institute's claims that redefining marriage will stimulate state economies. We recently pointed out a small business owner in Washington, DC showing how these claims turned out to be false.
Last week the Associated Press noted that California's nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office and Department of Finance found that "the potential financial effect [re-legalizing same-sex marriage in California] on state and local governments would be negligible over the long run." You can see a PDF of their report here.
Interestingly enough, they said the same thing about passing Prop 8 back in 2008.
Bottom line: over the long run, legalizing same-sex marriage won't create an economic boom for states. And there's plenty of evidence that it will cause real harm. That much at least is clear.
A snapshot into the unregulated world of sperm donation:
It's costly to give away your sperm for free -- just ask Trent Arsenault. The 36-year-old Northern California man has "fathered" 14 children since 2006, and has 4 more on the way. But they may be his last.
The FDA got wind of his one-man sperm donor operation last year and has ordered him to shut it down. Though he charges nothing for his services, the agency has labeled him a "manufacturer of human cells."
He's fighting the order, but could ultimately face a $100,000 fine if things don't work out.
Trent Arsenault connects with local couples on his website, trentdonor.org. It includes his resume, medical history, STD tests and pictures of babies born of his seed. His efforts have resulted in at least 328 donations to 46 unique recipients, according to the FDA's cease and desist letter. -- Legally Weird
Though I am a staunch Democrat, it is disappointing to see Hamline refuse to hire a conservative because of his political beliefs.
Fifty years ago, pacifist and socialist University of Minnesota Prof. Mulford Sibley drew controversy with the following statement: "Personally, I should like to see on campus one or two Communist professors, a chapter of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, a society for the promotion of free love, a League for the Overthrow of Government by Jeffersonian Violence (LOGJV), an anti-automation league, and perhaps a nudist club."
Some of these organizations were pure myth. The U did not endorse the organizations listed, but defended Sibley's belief in academic freedom and diversity of opinion. Hamline should take a lesson.
The New York TimesThe Caucus blog on two major endorsements of Rick Santorum by prominent Iowa social conservative leaders:
Two weeks before the Republican nominating contest opens at the Iowa caucuses, former SenatorRick Santorum of Pennsylvania has won a highly coveted endorsement from one of the state’s social conservative leaders.
Bob Vander Plaats, who has sought to put his imprint on the Republican presidential race for months, announced Tuesday that he would support Mr. Santorum. Mr. Vander Plaats and other evangelical Christians have talked openly about their struggle to unite behind one candidate, but he urged others to follow his lead.
Mr. Santorum, campaigning Tuesday in Pella, Iowa, said the endorsement demonstrates how evangelicals in the state increasingly “see this as the campaign that is going to be the conservative alternative.”
... Chuck Hurley, president of the Iowa Family Policy Center, which opposes same-sex marriage, also endorsed Mr. Santorum. “I urge every undecided Iowa caucusgoer to take a close look at Rick, to study the scriptures, to pray hard,” Mr. Hurley said. “For above all, we answer to God for our vote.
I’m writing to inform you of another Union Board of Education meeting taking place tomorrow night at the Union High School library.
From information that we’ve received, there appears to be a witch hunt taking place against Viki Knox, the teacher who objected to a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History Month display in the school’s hallways.
In the latest turn of events, the Board of Education’s investigation of Mrs. Knox’s comments appears to have degenerated into a witch hunt, consisting of spurious charges and intimidating tactics towards Mrs. Knox.
We know it’s almost Christmas and are mindful of your need to prepare. But for those who are able to come out and either speak in the public comments session or just be visible, we ask you to consider lending your presence and support to assist this fellow Christian in her undeserved distress.
You can sign NOM's petition in support of Viki Knox HERE.
The Eleventh Circuit has just rejected a counseling student’s effort to prevent Augusta State University in Georgia from requiring her to participate in a special “remediation plan” to get her to separate her religious beliefs about sexuality from her work as a counselor.
The school made the requirement a condition of her ability to participate in its Masters program for school counselors because faculty objected to comments she made in class discussions and assignments in which she expressed that “she believes GLBTQ ‘lifestyles’ to be "identity confusion” and because of “unsolicited reports from another student that she related her interest in conversion therapy for GLBTQ populations, and she has tried to convince other students to support and believe her views.”
The student has sued to prevent being forced out of the program if she does not complete the plan and sought to have a federal court issue a preliminary injunction to keep the school from enforcing the requirement immediately. In deciding whether the injunction should be issued, the court assessed the constitutional claims and decided that the student would likely lose since the school’s requirement did not, the court held, single her out for unfair treatment because of her religious beliefs but because of her desire to act on those beliefs in her work.
Since she is not likely to prevail on the constitutional claim, the court did not think an injunction should be issued. Unless the 11th Circuit panel’s decision is reversed or the school changes its requirement, the student will be forced to fulfill the special requirement or be kicked out of the Masters program. Her discrimination claim against the school can proceed even if she is forced out but will have to do so despite the 11th Circuit panel’s announcement that she is not likely to win on her constitutional claims unless she can show new evidence or provide new arguments.
The Eleventh Circuit decision can be found here (PDF).
Ron Meyer writing for the Young America's FoundationQuad blog writes about the situation at Hamline U.:
Hamline’s unexplained decision seems to link pretty closely with these faculty complaints—based solely on Emmer’s conservative beliefs. Bonilla’s complaints falsely presumed that because of Emmer’s stance on marriage (held my millions of Americans), Emmer would discriminate against certain students.
The grand irony here is that Bonilla and Hamline University discriminated against Emmer for his beliefs. Liberals consistently preach tolerance, but then are never tolerant to conservative ideas.
Young America’s Foundation calls for Hamline University to come clean with their discriminatory hiring practices. If higher education is about being open-minded, prove it. Hamline ought to renew the offer to hire Emmer and fulfill their obligations.
Embattled state Sen. Carl Kruger is expected to plead guilty to a raft of corruption charges tomorrow after cutting a deal with the feds, The Post has learned.
... a guilty plea from Kruger — who’s expected to admit committing four felonies — would result in the Brooklyn Democrat’s automatic expulsion from the state Senate, where he’s served since 1994.
... Kruger, 62, was busted earlier this year in a five-year, “pay-to-play” scheme in which he allegedly pocketed more than $1 million in payoffs for peddling his influence in Albany.
Court papers say he sponsored legislation, attempted to allocate millions in pork-barrel funds and even wrote a letter to a federal judge in Buffalo in exchange for a “stream of bribes” from real-estate, hospital and beverage-industry interests.
So before he makes comments on business issues maybe he should research that and then I gave this, Bob, and then I’ll be done. “Hostile environment for gays and lesbians.” What about for people with my point of view? I said to the guy that asked me. I have people throwing things at me. I’m not allowed to have an opinion? I respect yours, Bob, I respect yours, Sue, but I have my own opinions and I tend to voice them. These people don’t have people throwing things at them. I’ve had people threaten me physically. You saw the email I got this week. I’ll tell you what, I also don’t see people stopping them from working. These guys went out of their way to actually cause their employer to break a contract with me, because of my political views."
