President Downward Revision

Second quarter GDP was just revised down to a paltry 1.25% from 1.7%. Orders for durable goods fell by 13.2%, the worst drop since January 2009. Household incomes have fallen 8.2% under Obama. The low-wage work force has grown by 30% as the labor force has shrunk by the millions. The major credit ratings agencies are threatening yet another credit downgrade. Most big economic indicators are going south. Some economic analysts now put us back into the red zone, with odds of slipping into another recession at a whopping 50%.

Barack Obama is President Downward Revision.

Now we hear that the downward revisions aren't just limited to his catastrophic handling of the economy. His re-election team is now revising downward expectations for his debate performances. Because he's oh-so-busy n' stuff.

Get this. Obama campaign spokesperson Jen Psaki told ABC News that Obama may not be great in the debates because his presidential schedule is so packed: "The President will have a little bit of time to review and practice before the debates, but he has had to balance the management of world events, governing, time out campaigning and will have less time than we anticipated to sharpen and cut down his tendency to give long, substantive answers," she said.

Since when has he been "balancing the management of world events" and "governing?" Last I checked, the Middle East is aflame, China and Japan are locked in a serious dispute, Russia is running wild, and the U.S. economy is flatlining, and the President is AWOL. Also last I checked, Hillary Clinton was the one meeting with world leaders at the UN because Obama was hanging with Whoopi. At least Psaki mentioned campaigning, but to be clear: that's ALL he's doing. Shooting the breeze with Jay-Z and running around Ohio doesn't leave much time to "manage world events."

Of course, if he's not "managing world events," that's a good thing, given how badly he's screwed up our alliances, emboldened our enemies, and let the wheels come off the world.

If he stinks up the place during the debates, it won't be because he didn't have enough time to prepare. He knows his policies and his own defense better than anyone. If he stinks up the place, it'll be because his policies have stunk up the entire country, and no matter how much rhetorical Febreze he tries to spray, the American people can still smell the socialist stench.

America and World In Collapse, Obama Chillaxes

The Middle East is aflame thanks to Islamist violence. Regions of Western Europe see turmoil thanks to the contractions of dying socialism. The U.S. economy continues to collapse thanks to years of Obama's statist redistributionism. And yet, the president busies himself with campaigning, fundraising, continuing to spew lies about the terror attack that killed a U.S. ambassador, and appearing with entertainment nitwits.

Here is a sampling of headlines from this morning's DrudgeReport.com:

Violent Protests Swirl in Spain As Regions Seethe...
Hungry Forage Trash Bins for Next Meal...
Greek workers go on strike; flights grounded, public services shut...

AHMADINEJAD PUSHES NEW WORLD ORDER...
Iran Test-Fires Missiles Designed To Hit Warships...
Unveils long-range drone...
Israel quiet as Yom Kippur descends...
Security forces on high alert...

Libyan president: Anti-Islam film had 'nothing to do with' US consulate attack...
Senators to Hillary: Show us murdered ambassador's cables...
Libya tense after death of man who caught Gadhafi...
...calls for vengeance

Low-wage work force grows 30% as number of jobs shrinks...
Household Incomes Down 8.2% Under Obama...

You would never know that America and the world were violently convulsing if you only looked at Obama's schedule: campaign trail, golf course, cigarette break.

How bad does he have to be? Seriously, undecided voters: how bad does he have to be for you not to rehire him?

Obama's REAL Missed Opportunity

A lot has been made of the fact that President Obama found time to meet with Prime Minister David Letterman and Prime Minister Whoopi Goldberg but will not find the time to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In fact, Obama has adamantly refused to meet with ANY world leaders while in New York for the UN General Assembly. There was a long conga-line of leaders whose nations and regions are aflame and who would have appreciated some face-time with the leader of the free world. But no: Obama can't be bothered. After all, the "Pimp With A Limp" radio show is requesting a second interview.

By not meeting these leaders, Obama is missing a real opportunity. He could have told Vladimir Putin directly that he will carry out Putin's wishes in a second term. He could have told Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi face-to-face that he is still at his service to do whatever the Muslim Brotherhood needs and wants. And he could have told Mahmoud Ahmadinejad directly not to worry about America blocking him from acquiring the bomb.

On the other hand, maybe Obama's right. Maybe he didn't need these face-to-face meetings, especially with our adversaries, since he already told them through Dimitri Medvedev that he will help them all after his re-election.

Meanwhile, Bibi Netanyahu has gotten the exact opposite message. Face-to-face.

Lying Liars and Those Who Cover For Them

The Democrats are quite the party of Accomplished Liars: there's Barack Obama, of course, the most skillfull and proficient liar to come along since, well, Bill Clinton. And then there's Obama's entire campaign team, including Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod, Jim Messina, and David Plouffe; his entire Cabinet from the Queen of Foreign Policy Lies Hillary Clinton to Tax Cheat Tim Geithner to Abortion Enthusiast Kathleen Sebelius; and then there's sundry other top Democrats, including Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, John Kerry, John Edwards...and, well, I could go on, but the internet has limited space.

Today we learn that top Democrat Senate candidate in Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren (another former top Obama appointee), who has already lied about her "Cherokee heritage" and various other things, has apparently lied about having a law license to practice in Massachusetts. According to the great legal blog, Legal Insurrection, Warren has privately practiced law out of her Harvard Law School office, despite not being licensed to do so in Massachusetts. This is a potential felony. (See the research and article here: http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/09/elizabeth-warrens-law-license-problem/ )

Of course, just as her lies about her "Indian" heritage were glossed over---even though she still refuses to release her academic records so we can see if she committed fraud in using that fake heritage to gain admission to the Harvard faculty---this will likely be shrugged over as well, because the leftwing media will not cover it----or makes excuses for it or simply buries it.

It used to be that politicians engaged in their own cover-ups and the media doggedly investigated in order to expose them. Now, however, the leftwing media are so corrupt and sick that they are now performing the cover-ups FOR these politicians.

Where is the outrage over these lying liars currently running (and running to run) the country? Neutralized by a lapdog press determined to prove they can perform cover-ups better than the politicians they protect.

This Weekend's Radio Show

At this time of year, "The Monica Crowley Show," which is nationally syndicated, often gets pre-empted by college football games. For example, for much of the autumn, 77 WABC in New York will be pre-empting my show to carry Army football. Often, these stations will stream the show on their websites instead. Please check your local station's website. On Saturday, my show can be heard online on the WABC website at 1pm ET. Please go to www.WABCRadio.com and click on "Listen Live." It's going to be a great show--we're going to talk about the campaign, polls, what's going on and why, upheaval in the Middle East with Andy McCarthy, and we'll have some fun with the fabulous Suzanne Somers!---so please tune in. Thank you!

No, He Can't

In 2008, Barack Obama promised "change." "Change" was his raison d'etre. Five days before the election, he announced that we were just days away "from fundamentally transforming the nation." The slogan "Yes, we can" was built on the concept of "change:" changing the way things were done in Washington, changing the tone, changing leadership, changing America.

Now, he says, "Change? Not so much."

In an interview with Univision yesterday, Obama said, "The most important lesson I've learned is that you can't change Washington from the inside. You can only change it from the outside."

This from the ultimate Washington insider: the president of the United States, who, prior to this gig, spent two years as a US Senator. If you're president and you've got huge, filibuster-proof majorities during your first two years, and you're still complaining that you "can't change Washington from the inside," then maybe the problem isn't Washington.

Mitt Romney jumped on Obama's remark, saying Americans were going to help Obama get out of DC: "He can only change it from outside? Well, we're going to give him a chance in November. He's going outside!" Romney also said---to big cheers---that Obama has moved from "Yes, we can" to "No, I can't."

The "hope" Obama promised is long gone. So, now, is the "change."

It's Baaaacccckkkk

The bizarre and creepy Obama cult of personality was created and used to great effect during the 2008 campaign. The "black Jesus" leading the messianic "we're the ones we've been waiting for" campaign complete with faux Greek columns and fainting supporters created a mass hypnotic effect; Obama was then able to leverage his self-proclaimed transcendence into electoral victory. It was all very "Dear Leader-esque." And executed very well.

So it's no wonder that The One and his disciples would try to re-create that surreal cult of personality. His campaign has just released a rendering of the American flag (you know, the one the Islamists are burning across the Middle East) in which they've replaced the stars with the Obama campaign logo. I think we're supposed to thank them for leaving a couple of stripes. (You can see the desecration here---and conveniently purchase a screen print of it): https://store.barackobama.com/obama-2012-store-collections/artists-for-obama/our-stripes-flag-print.html

Not to be outdone by the perverse and shameful treatment of the flag, actress Jessica Alba is doing her part to prop up the Obama cult. According to the Washington Examiner, "The Obama campaign has launched its "For All" campaign, encouraging supporters to take pictures of themselves with their hands on their hearts and a note explaining why they support President Obama. Actress Jessica Alba uses the Pledge of Allegiance as an example of the campaign in an email to supporters.

""Growing up, my classmates and I started every day with a ritual: We'd stand up, put our right hand over our hearts, and say the Pledge of Allegiance," explains Alba. "To me, that gesture was a promise. A promise to be involved and engaged in this country's future. A promise to work for liberty and justice - and for affordable education, health care, and equality - for all,"" she proclaims.

So Kim Il Obama runs again for president, stirring passions not about America and its foundational principles, but for himself. It's the ultimate aggrandizement of the leader. It's what dictatorships have done for decades. Obama has learned their tactics well. The only question is: have we learned OUR lesson?

Fool us once....fool us twice...

The Chart Every American Should See---And Mitt Should Use

A quick reference guide to the catastrophic Obama Economy:

http://www.republican.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/our-view?ID=e33a7a58-66d2-4491-91f6-aae703cdb370

Romney Tells The Truth

During presidential campaigns, the candidates are usually very circumspect: careful and deliberate in their comments, wary with reporters, and measured in tone. Every once in a while, however, those same publicly prudent candidates will speak the truth, usually when they think they're in private among friends and supporters. And often, those are the comments that are the most illuminating.

On April 6, 2008, at a closed-door San Francisco fundraiser, Barack Obama said this:

"You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

It turns out that that's exactly how he saw us. It was then no mystery that that's how he has governed: with strategies designed to divide us by class, race, age, and gender.

On May 17, 2012, at a closed-door Boca Raton fundraiser, Mitt Romney said this:

"There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what..These are people who pay no income tax.... [M]y job is is not to worry about those people. I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives."

Romney was 100% correct. Let's break it down:

1. Everybody knows that Romney was referring to the political challenge he faces in getting the growing dependency class to listen to his message and consider voting for him. He was talking politics here, not policy. Not unlike what Obama said in his taped fundraiser about us "bitter clingers" in 2008. The difference is that Obama has actually deepened and governed on those divided lines, while Romney is advocating pro-growth economic policies in order to get folks OUT of dependency and back into economic freedom and the prosperity that comes with it.

2. Obama's whole objective has been to accelerate us to the tipping point, in which more people are dependent on government than not. And he's had enormous success: unemployment has remained staggeringly high, nearly half of all Americans pay no federal income tax, record numbers of people are on food stamps and other social welfare programs, socialized medicine is kicking in, etc. In fact, tt's actually WORSE than Romney stated: he claimed that 47% pay no federal income tax, when the truth is 49% don't, and 49% of households have someone on federal aid. Remember: when people can vote themselves goodies, freebies, and raises from the Treasury, they will. Romney was right to point out that that's the reality in which he's operating right now.

3. Gallup's most recent poll, however, shows that 54% of Americans believe government is doing TOO MUCH that should be left to individuals and businesses, so Romney is right on principle AND he has most of the American people with him.

4. The TRUTH that Romney did not state: Obama's single-minded objective has been to get as many people as possible dependent on government. But the ultimate objective of THAT is to create a permanent Democrat voting majority. And Team Obama and the Left have made enormous strides in achieving that, although they're not quite there yet. Romney is operating in that reality as well---and doing what he can to prevent it.

The Left, the press, and others are going wild with the Romney comments. But the American people know what's real: Romney was correct and he told the truth. Obama HAS moved us from an opportunity society to a government dependency state. Romney must own his comments, as he did last night in his statement and press conference, and talk about how economic growth is the solution. He's got a slew of pro-growth economic policies---from tax, entitlement, and regulatory reform to repealing ObamaCare---and he's got to be talking about them non-stop.

The Left's attempt to pervert these comments as a way to push their lie that Romney doesn't care will backfire---because taxpayers are pissed. Look at the results in the Wisconsin recall election: the people supported Governor Scott Walker when he protected them. They gave him back-up as long as he stuck to his guns. They will provide back-up for Mitt too, as long as he fights for getting America back to its core principles of limited government, individual freedom, fiscal responsibility, and self-reliance. THAT is a winning message, because it's the truth about America and the source of our greatness.

Stick to it, Mitt. And fight.

Why We Fight

Today is the 225th birthday of the United States Constitution, the greatest governing document in the history of mankind. Even as we celebrate it today and every day, we recognize that it is under assault from all sides, including from our own leadership, which has continually abused, manipulated, and disregarded it at will.

Protecting and defending this awesome document of human freedom: THIS is why we fight---both at home and abroad.

We must never falter. We must never get discouraged. We must never rest.

We must not fail.