Where does the time go?
Just a few notes this morning:
Polls may not mean much right now, but it sure feels good when you get some good ones. Qunnipiac/CBS/NYT (new partnership) shows that Obama is up by 6 in Ohio and Florida, and a whopping 11 in Pennsylvania. Explains why they pulled ads in the Keystone state. In Michigan, which everyone was questioning thanks to Republican pollster Mitchell showing a Romney lead (flashback: he's the guy who had DeVos within two points a day before Granholm smoked him by double digits), EPIC shows Obama up by 6, which sounds more plausible. OK, everybody breathe.
The auto industry is going to release some sales numbers today that show an 11% sales increase over last year (Chrysler is first out of the gate at this writing, up 13%, GM and Ford were down on fleet) - and Mitt goes on the air with an attack ad hitting the auto rescue. This also comes on the heels of a glowing story in the Freep about how Michigan's economy is recovering faster than the nation due to the auto industry, and how everyone is smiling about it. Hmmm.
And the policy hits keep coming: New study of Romney's tax plan finds that it cuts taxes for the top 5% - and raises taxes for the bottom 95%. The WaPo reports that "the study was conducted by researchers at the Brookings Institution and the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, who seem to bend over backward to be fair to the Republican presidential candidate," and this is the best it gets. "To avoid increasing deficits — as Romney has pledged — the plan would have to generate an equivalent amount of revenue by slashing tax breaks for mortgage interest, employer-provided health care, education, medical expenses, state and local taxes, and child care — all breaks that benefit the middle class." Hmm, sounds familiar...
President Obama will have something to say about Mitt's tax plan today. You can fill in the blanks.
Time to add all these up: "But like so many of the small businesses that the Romney campaign has trotted out in recent weeks, Tanya L. Burns & Associates, an insurance brokerage firm in Florida, is yet another beneficiary of federal spending. And not just any spending: Burns’ firm has helped clients reduce their health insurance premiums thanks to the Affordable Care Act, which Mitt Romney has pledged to repeal." Every single example of Romney's "build it" campaign has had government assistance.
The Senate will move forward with renewable energy credits, but don't expect any action out of the House. "Senate Finance Committee leaders announced an agreement early this morning to hold a committee vote on a tax extenders package Thursday to address tax provisions that have expired or will expire at the end of this year. While details were few, the committee’s announcement noted the package will include “renewable energy initiatives,” potentially including the wind production tax credit, which runs out at the end of this year and became campaign fodder this week when Mitt Romney came out against extending it or phasing it out." Yes, let's talk about how Mitt will kill wind energy manufacturing jobs. Sounds like a plan, right, Iowa? Grassley is not amused.
Gotta go...