Election 2008

BURLINGAME, California - December 13, 2007 - How will the economy fare next year? Will we have a recession? Inflation?

Economists are debating the question fiercely, but netizens have already voted: Roughly three times as many people are searching the Internet for the word "inflation" than "recession."

Thanks, Google.

The Mountain View, Calif., company on Thursday released a slew of similar results in its annual zeitgeist list of the most-searched topics in 2007. The topics included presidential candidates, lawsuits, Hollywood starlets, sports teams and song lyrics. Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Paul took the No. 1 spot in most-searched presidential candidates, beating out Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

Marissa Mayer, Google's vice president of search products and user experience, told Forbes.com that Ron Paul's popularity was surprising, but his online campaign "shows what an effective tool the Internet is. He's not nearly as covered [in the media] as Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, but he has marketed himself online. He's using the Internet to his advantage."

The fictional TV pop star Hannah Montana, played by Miley Cyrus, beat out the Rolling Stones in popularity by a generous margin. But classic values aren't dead: Barbie's search ranking soared far above Hannah Montana's.

Topics that fell out of favor in 2007 but were heavily searched in 2006 included the soccer World Cup, Sudoku, singer Shakira and MP3, according to Google.

To compile its lists, the company used Google Trends, its site for online popularity contests. Type in two or three terms and up pops a chart that shows the relative number of Google searches each word received during a given time period.

Google is willing to separate out how frequently the media uses a term in contrast to user searches. For instance, the media has referenced the iPhone more frequently than the iPod since about June. But other than a brief spike in July, the public has steadily searched more for "iPod" than for "iPhone." The one place where "iPhone" and "iPod" searches almost match the media references? New York City, media capital of America.

What Google won't share is exactly how frequently those searches took place - just the relative volume. So we can't tell you the exact number of times Ron Paul was searched, for instance. Mayer said Google doesn't release the data for competitive reasons and for issues related to online advertising.

December 13, 2007 - Washington, DC (December 12, 2007) - On December 7, 2007 in cities and small towns across the country, Democrat, Republican and "Open" Caucus groups formed independently online and Caucused face-to-face on National Caucus Day. The first-ever National Presidential Caucus is now history and the results are in.

Barack Obama wins over Democrat voters generating 40% of Democrat Caucus voter preferences. Obama was followed by a three-way tie for second, with John Edwards, Bill Richardson and "Undecided" each generating 20% of Democratic Caucus preferences.

On the Republican side, Ron Paul obliterated the field for the GOP generating the preference of 50% of GOP Caucuses. Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson follow, generating 33.3% and 16.6% of Republican Caucus preferences, respectively.

Among votes in Open Caucuses, Ron Paul wins with 62.5% of Open Caucus votes, followed by Barack Obama (18.75%), Fred Thompson (12.5%), and Hilary Clinton (6.25%).

Results were tallied from 19 independently formed Caucus groups (Republican, Democrat, and Open) that met on Friday, December 7th, 2007 in Dallas, TX (2D); Sarcoxie, MO (O); Boise, ID (R); Needham, MA (D); Carthage, MO (O); Manhattan, KS (D & R); Pineville, MO (O); Richmond, MO (O); Costa Mesa, CA (O); Springfield MO (R); Winston-Salem, NC (O); Overland Park, KS (R); New York City, NY (O); and Joplin, MO (R), Warrensburg, MO (R), Roselle Park, NK (D), and Philadelphia, PA (O).

December 10, 2007 - U.S. Congressional Candidate Cindy Sheehan today called upon Nancy Pelosi to respond to a story printed in the December 9 Washington Post which claims that the Speaker of the House was present in a 2002 meeting where four members of Congress were given a virtual tour of the CIA's overseas detention sites and torture program.

According to the CIA, no objections were raised by any member of Congress present in the meeting, even though waterboarding, the interrogation technique profiled in the meeting, is illegal under international and U.S. military law.

Pelosi has declined to comment on the story.

"My son was killed in part because of a battle that resulted from the torture happening at Abu Ghraib,” said Sheehan. “If Nancy Pelosi had done the right thing in 2002 and taken a stance against the use of inhumane torture practices Casey might still be alive, so would thousands more and think of those who could have been saved from this horrific abuse.”

“How she can claim that she supports the troops when her actions and silence put them directly into harms way?”

Sheehan, who this year declared her candidacy to run for Pelosi’s seat, reaffirmed her intentions to unseat the House Speaker.

“This is the smoking that makes it obvious why Nancy Pelosi ‘took impeachment off the table.’ It is more urgent now than ever that she is removed from office & I am even more determined to win her seat in 2008."

Waterboarding, a simulated drowning technique used as a torture method since the Spanish Inquisition, is outlawed under Article 3, Section 1 (a) of the Geneva Convention which prohibits, "Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture." All countries signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture are subject to the prohibition on torture. In 2006, the U.S. Department of Defense released a revised Army Field Manual entitled Human Intelligence Collector Operations prohibiting the use of waterboarding by U.S. military personnel.

“Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress should be using their Constitutional authority to end all use of torture.” said Sheehan, “Acquiring information through use of torture on prisoners of war is as inhumane as it is unreliable.”

According to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution, "The Congress shall have power to….declare war… and make rules concerning captures on land and water;"

RENO, Nevada - December 11, 2007 - Touching on issues ranging from Yucca Mountain to the USA PATRIOT Act and the war in Iraq, presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich spoke to a crowd of several hundred people in Reno Saturday.

Despite a steady snowfall outside, a standing-room-only crowd packed into two meeting rooms at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to hear what the Ohio Congressman and Democrat had to say about issues he's most closely associated with: the environment and opposition to the war and the Bush regime in general. Those expecting Kucinich to deliver harsh words about the president weren't disappointed, as the half-hour campaign speech soon turned to talk of impeachment.

"On the way over here, I was reading a 50-page document that relates to Articles of Impeachment for the President of the United States," Kucinich said to a standing ovation. "And I want you to know that I'm actually preparing this document for submission to the House."

Kucinich said under the current regime, citizens’ rights to due process and fair trials are in jeopardy.

"This is a moment when we're called upon to reclaim our country," he said. "You give me your vote, I'll give you back your country."

Kucinich also discussed how his concern for the environment would shape his presidency if he were to be elected.

"Think about this. The government has an engine of sustainability so that the Department of Transportation focuses on developing mass transit solutions. The Department of Housing and Urban Development develops green housing with natural light and passive solar. The Department of Energy incentivizes the production of wind and solar and green energy," he told the crowd.

But most of those on hand weren't there to hear about global warming.

Bill Cantella of Reno made his way throughout the crowd, handing out Kucinich pamphlets and stickers simply reading "Impeach," while others wore shirts and held banners bearing the same sentiment.

Cantella said Kucinich's "everyman" appeal draws him to the candidate.

"The most appealing thing about him to me is that he's not connected with special interests, international corporations and he does not accept campaign contributions from corporations or PACs." Cantella said. "He's not connected to the military industrial complex, oil companies and health insurance companies that rule our lives."

He was quick, however, to point out that shunning such donations could, in fact, hurt Kucinich's chances in a race populated by high-profile candidates like Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama on the Democratic side.

"That's probably his biggest problem," Cantella said. "Because you have to have a lot of money to win the presidency of the United States."

Kucinich's wife, Elizabeth, who was raised in England, spoke about the perception that her husband traditionally has been seen as a fringe, extremist candidate.

"There's a kind of thought police in Washington that tells the people of the United States that they're on the fringe but they're not," she said. "Dennis really stands with the people of America right squarely on the issues. It's the other candidates on the fringe that actually pose themselves as mainstream."

After the speech was presumably over, Kucinich jumped back on stage to get in one more thought; this one on Yucca Mountain.

"Under President Kucinich, Yucca Mountain is dead," he said.

November 14, 2007 - While most of the politicians vying for their party's nomination for President of the United States pay lip service to the nation's law enforcement officers, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) is actually doing something to earn the respect and gratitude of America's cops, according to many police officers and organizations.

For example, the American federation of Police - with well over 100,000 members - recently praised Ron Paul for introducing a bill that would help cops obtain topnotch body armor that would withstand rounds fired from most firearms. Rep. Paul's bill - HR 3304 - would amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a tax credit to law enforcement officers who purchase their own body armor.

"I urge all police officers and concerned citizens to contact their congressmen and ask them to support Rep. Paul's bill," said Deputy Sheriff Dennis Wise, president of the American Federation of Police.

"I would also like to applaud Congressman Ron Paul for his support and forward thinking in trying to help make law enforcement officers across our nation safer each day," said Wise.

Rep. Ron Paul appears to be popular with many U.S. cops. "He's never found it necessary to force police officers to stand with him for photo opportunities the way other presidential candidates such as Hillary Clinton do," said New York Police Officer Edna Aguayo.

One police officer claims cops in New York and other states are forced to pose with the likes of Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain. If an officer refuses, he or she is charged with insubordination by their superiors.

"It's a joke how these cops are used as props during election campaigns. But Ron Paul doesn't pay cops lip service - he actually works to help them enforce the law," said another cop forced to pose with Sen. Clinton during one of her staged "rallies."

Public opinion service Rasmussen Reports recently released data from its October 12-14 polling that indicates that Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul leads his GOP opponents against Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton among likely voters ages 30-49. He is the leading White House contender for the key demographic, polling higher than Clinton among baby boomers. Congressman Paul polls in at 47%, compared with Clinton's 44%, among likely voters aged 40-49.

The 30-49 demographic has been a key indicator in recent elections, and one in which Republicans tend to fare well in hotly-contested elections. In 2004, exit polls reveal that George Bush beat John Kerry 53% to 46% among 30-44 year olds, and all accounts indicate that this will be the most instrumental demographic in the 2008 presidential election as well.

"Ron Paul is the only Republican candidate who can beat Hillary Clinton," claims political strategist Kent Snyder.

More than 3,000 police officers' lives have been saved by body armor since the mid-1970s when the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) began testing and developing body armor and performance standards for ballistic and stab resistance. Recognition and acceptance of the NIJ standard has grown worldwide, making it the performance benchmark for ballistic-resistant body armor.

Body armor can provide protection against a significant number of types of handgun ammunition, but law enforcement personnel must keep in mind that armor is categorized and rated for different threat levels. Additional protection should be worn for SWAT team operations, hostage rescues, or Special Operations assignments, when officers may be exposed to a weapon threat greater than the protection provided by regular duty armor, according to the National Institute of Justice.

Rank-and-file police officers also applaud Rep. Paul for his pro-sovereignty stance. "The talk must stop. We must secure our borders now. A nation without secure borders is no nation at all. It makes no sense to fight terrorists abroad when our own front door is left unlocked," said the Texas congressman during a campaign rally.

In addition, Congressman Ron Paul believes that the Second Amendment is "not about duck hunting." It is an individual right that is guaranteed. He stated that he believes it is about the citizenry having the ability to restrain tyrannical governments and would be dictators.

He believes the Second Amendment is about self-defense from criminal attack and from governments that break away from the chains of the Constitution. According to a poll conducted by the National Association of Chiefs of Police, more than 75% of the nation's police officers agree with Rep. Paul's stance on gun ownership including private citizens carrying concealed weapons for personal protection.

Just recently Congressman Paul opposed the reauthorization of the Clinton-Feinstein semi-auto gun ban. He opposes gun and gun owner registration. And Paul opposes government permission systems that force law-abiding citizens "prove" their innocence before buying or owning firearms.

AFP president Dennis Wise agrees with Rep. Paul's stance on gun control. "When our founding fathers assembled to write one of the greatest papers ever written - our Constitution - they put down the amendments ... in the order of their importance," said Wise.

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CONTACT: Jesse Benton
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ARLINGTON, Virginia - December 6, 2007 - A group of professors from a wide range of academic disciplines have formed an "Academics for Ron Paul" group to declare their support for presidential candidate Ron Paul.   The academics hold positions at national institutions including Northwestern University, University of Alabama, American University, The Citadel, Brigham Young University, Hillsdale College, Indiana University, Ohio University and The Hoover Institution.

In their announcement they wrote:

"Americans have lost faith in politicians, and for good reasons. Taxes, spending, and the national debt continue to rise, special interest bribes riddle the Congress, courts, and executive branch, and our schools are in shambles. Yet our government continues to wage a ceaseless assault on the American people's rights to make their own choices. It has done so through the USA Patriot Act, the REAL ID Act, the War on Drugs, McCain-Feingold, and countless other initiatives. The endless and inept foreign policy of interventionism of the establishment politicians has put our country in grave danger not only of a destructive war with Iran but a new financial crisis.

"The 2008 election thus comes at a critical time in the history of the United States and the world.

"We endorse Ron Paul for president because we believe he is the candidate best able to solve these profound problems. We come from a broad and diverse range of academic fields and specialties. We unite under the banner of liberty and are proud to announce our support for Ron Paul."

The full endorsement can be found at www.academicsforpaul.com.

Dr. Paul recently was also endorsed by Barry Goldwater Jr., who served in Congress for six terms with Congressman Ron Paul, and is the son of former Republican presidential nominee and Arizona U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater.  His video endorsement can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7r27Az_Mns.

November 24, 2007 - The Hillary Clinton campaign backpedaled today on a report published in the prestigious publication, TheSpoof.com, that implied the Democratic presidential candidate was sexually aroused by a recent Ron Paul speech.

The controversy erupted when Mrs. Clinton was spotted attending a speech by Republican GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul. Several Republican sources at the scene claimed that Hillary seemed to be breathing hard during the speech, and that her nipples were protruding through the fabric of her suit jacket.

"Is Hillary Clinton aroused by Ron Paul?" a reporter bluntly asked during a press conference given by Clinton campaign spokesman Jay Carson.

"It depends on what the definition of 'is' is," Carson explained. "If by 'is' you mean 'at the moment', then the answer is no, or at best an unlikely 'maybe.'"

Carson said the alleged stimulation was taken out of context. "If there is any truth to this report, then it was Ron Paul's talk of hard currency backed by gold and silver that perked up Mrs. Clinton," Carson spinned. "But it never happened, at least not in a way that damages Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign."

Carson laughed when asked if Paul and Clinton might be having a secret affair.

"Talk of an affair is ridiculous," Carson scoffed. "Ron Paul is too old to be an intern. Mrs. Clinton may like the cut of his jib, but that is all. Besides, Ron Paul is the opposite sex."