Round 2: Gingrich, Perry and Bachmann Address The Republican Jewish Coalition

By Scarlette Whyte

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he plans to take a few pages out of the Reagan playbook to help the economy. If elected president he will cut taxes, repeal Obamacare and reward job creators.

As for unemployment benefits Gingrich said there needs to be job training conditions tied to compensation. “We rebuild human capital not by paying people to do nothing,” the former speaker stated.

The crowd laughed when Gingrich said he would challenge the president to 7 three hour debates and let him use a teleprompter.

Texas Governor Rick Perry criticized President Obama’s handle on foreign policy. “He’s engaged in failed outreach and intellectual conversation with Iran,” Perry said.

Perry also said that Obama has turned his back on Israel. He made a biblical reference  by comparing himself to Nehemiah building the wall in Jerusalem. “Prayerfully he urged the people to keep building with a brick in one hand and sword in the other.”

The Texas Governor said if elected, he would cut down working days in Congress. “Let them go home and work a regular job and live under their laws.”

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) was last to speak at the RJC forum. Out the gate, she addressed the United States/Israel relationship. ” As president of the United States I will once again have Israel’s back.” She said that “Palestine must recognize Israel’s right to exist and condemn violence.”

As it relates to issues here at home, Bachmann referred to the Occupy Wall Street movement as the “Obama re-election team.” She went on to say that high tax rates are punishing job creators for politician’s greed.

Pelosi Declines Rick Perry's Debate Proposal

By Janie Amaya

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declined Rick Perry’s challenged for a debate next Monday.

Poking some fun at the GOP candidate’s gaffe during a presidential debate last week, Pelosi said her schedule is full and jokingly said she couldn’t remember all of her scheduled engagements on her schedule next Monday.

“Well, he did ask  if I could debate here in Washington on Monday. It is my understanding that such a letter has come in. Monday I’m going to be in Portland in the morning. I’m going to be visiting some of our labs in California in the afternoon- that’s two, I can’t remember what the third thing is,” Pelosi said. 

According to Perry, the unorthodox proposal came after House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) criticized Perry’s “Overhauling Washington” plan.

In a letter to Pelosi, Perry asks if the top Democrat in the House “truly opposes lawmakers spending more time in their districts,” if his plan of cutting Congress’ pay is passed as President.

“A part-time Congress with half the pay would still make $38,000 a year more than the average American family,” Perry said in his letter.

Ron Paul Reports $8 Million In Third Quarter

Speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesday, Presidential Candidate Ron Paul (R-Texas) expressed optimism about his presidential campaign, announcing that over the past three months his campaign has collected more than $8 million and gathered over 100,000 campaign donors.

“We are very pleased with that and believe that will give us the energy to keep the campaign moving right along,” Paul stated.

In contrast, Texas Governor Rick Perry, a fellow presidential hopeful, raised more than $17 million from only 22,000 donors.

“If you get $8 million, half as much, and you get it from small individual donors who are fervently engaged in campaigning for you, that’s a lot different than getting money that more than likely might have come, for the other candidates, from special interests,” Paul enumerated. “All donors are not equal. I will take my small donations, with the enthusiasm of the people who send me the money.”

Paul continued his address and explained that much of his donations come from military troops since he is consistently advocating to bring the troops home and end war. 

“If you add up all the donations for all of the Republican candidates from military active duty people, I get twice as much because they are sick and tired of these wars and know it is not working out,” Paul exclaimed.

While Paul expressed discontent that his campaign has not recieved the same level of media attention as fellow candidates, Paul stated that his campaign faced an “uphill battle.”

“I will continue to do the campaigning and quite frankly I feel pretty optimistic about how the campaign is going,” Paul concluded.

Click here to see photos from today’s luncheon

GOP Candidates Go At It Again Tonight

Nine Republican candidates for president will square off in Orlando, Florida tonight in the third GOP debate of this month.

Tonight’s lineup will feature Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain and Gary Johnson.

Johnson, the former New Mexico Governor who has largely been ignored thus far, is eager to prove he belongs with the rest of the field.

“Governor Johnson…will bring ideas and approaches to the challenges we face that would otherwise not be heard,” said campaign strategist Ron Nielson.

Meanwhile, the battle between Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for frontrunner status will once again figure to be a top story line.

In Tampa ten days ago, Romney was widely credited with turning in a good, but unspectacular performance. However, he benefitted greatly from the attacks waged by others in the room against Perry over a host of issues.

Bachmann and Santorum, each with their eye on Iowa, where social conservatives will turn out en masse, both accused Perry of abusing his power as Governor to pass an executive order requiring young girls in the state of Texas to receive HPV vaccinations. Perry admitted that he was wrong to circumvent the legislature, but cited studies that have produced links between the sexually-transmitted disease and cervical cancer.

In addition, Paul, the offbeat congressman who frequently espouses ultra-libertarian views, accused Perry of raising taxes in Texas. Though Perry responded that he has reduced taxes while in office, the attack seemed to rattle him slightly.

Perry’s Tampa showing may have hurt him in at least two key primary states. A new poll conducted by Winthrop (S.C.) University showed Romney trailing Perry by only three percentage points among definite voters. And in New Hampshire, a new Suffolk University poll showed Romney leading the runner-up, Paul, by 27 points.

Tune into the Fox News Channel at 9:00 pm for all of tonight’s action. You can also click here to watch online.

Abbas Gathers Support For Statehood; Perry Panders To Neocons

By Kenneth R. Bazinet

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is meeting today with international leaders at the United Nations, drumming up support for his bid to get the world body to recognize the state of Palestine.

The controversial move is further isolating Israel at the UN and putting the U.S. in a tough spot, since it supports the pro-democracy uprisings in the Middle East known as the Arab Spring, but will veto any effort at the UN Security Council to unilaterally declare Palestinian statehood.

“We hope the United States will revise its position and be on the side of the majority of nations or countries who want to support the Palestinian right to have self determination and independence,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said at an impromptu press conference after meeting with Venezuela’s foreign minister.

Abbas is angered by two decades of talks that have failed to reach a deal leading to Palestinian statehood, especially amid what he believes is further stalling tactics by Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.

The Palestinian leader is meeting today with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Foreign Secretary William Hague.

In an 11th-hour plea, Netanyahu now says he is ready to get back to serious negotiations to try to head off a vote on statehood, as early as Friday, when Abbas addresses the UN General Assembly.

Netanyahu also plans to address the UN on Friday.

Conservative GOP presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is seeking to take advantage of the international tensions, meeting with Jewish and Israeli leaders to blame Obama for the Palestinians move to get statehood.

“Simply put, we would not be here today at the precipice of such a dangerous move if the Obama Policy in the Middle East wasn’t naïve, arrogant, misguided and dangerous,” Perry said in prepared remarks released ahead of his speech today.

Despite Obama’s firm position that his Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice will veto Palestinian statehood at the UN Security Council, Perry blasted the President for his even-handed treatment of the Israelis and Palestinians.

“It must be said, first, that Israel is our oldest and strongest democratic ally in the Middle East and has been for more than 60 years,” Perry said. “The Obama Policy of moral equivalency, which gives equal standing to the grievances of Israelis and Palestinians, including the orchestrators of terrorism, is a dangerous insult.”

Perry, who has not addressed foreign policy matters very much on campaign trail, was dismissed by detractors as pandering to neo-conservative Republicans rather than adding anything meaningful to the dialogue.

Read more from Kenneth R. Bazinet at The Baz File…