Palin’s PAC Teases Presidential Run

Sarah Palin’s political action committee, SarahPAC, sent out a fundraising message Wednesday evening implying that the former Alaska Governor could soon be entering the 2012 race.

According to a letter obtained and reported on by the Des Moines Register, SarahPAC’s Treasurer says that Palin is “on the verge” and is urging her supporters to show their financial support.

“Someone must save our nation from this road to European socialism,” the letter states. “Do you think it should be Gov. Palin.”

Rumors of a Presidential run have swirled around Palin since the end of the 2008 election and within recent weeks Palin has stated that she will decide by the end of September. However, during a recent appearance on Fox News, she stated that she may push that deadline.

Poll: Obama Lags In The Sunshine State

As the 2012 election season unfolds, President Barack Obama is off to a rocky start in Florida.

According to a new poll from Quinnipiac University, 57 percent of the state’s voters disapprove of the President’s performance, while only 39 percent approve.

In addition, only 41 percent of the state’s voters say the President deserves re-election and 53 percent say he does not.

Obama’s poor showing is matched by improving numbers for GOP frontrunner Rick Perry and Mitt Romney. In a 2012 matchup, Obama holds a diminishing lead over the Texas governor with 42-44 percent, a shift from his wider 44 to 39 percent lead in early August . If going up against Romney, Obama lags by 47 to 40 percent, a similar decline from the previous poll, which put the two in a 44 to 44 percent tie.

Currently, Perry outshines Romney in the sunshine state by 28 to 22 percent. However, if Sarah Palin confirms that she will not enter the 2012 race, Perry stands to garner more support. An exit from the former Alaska Governor sees Perry’s lead jump to 31 to 22 percent.

The poll was conducted among 1,007 registered Florida voters between September 14^th and the 19^th.

Obama To Announce "No Child Left Behind" Opt-Outs For States

President Obama tomorrow will unveil plans to relieve states from having to comply with certain requirements of the national “No Child Left Behind” education law that took effect nine years ago.

He’ll be joined at the White House by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who has been instrumental in getting states on board with the administration’s plans to re-shape national educational standards.

The waivers Obama will grant will give states the flexibility to duck a bevy of requirements, including the mandate that all students must be proficient in reading and math by 2014. In return, the administration is asking states to accept changes such as linking teacher evaluation to student performance.

According to the Washington Post, nearly every state is expected to apply for the waivers.

The president will make the announcement tomorrow morning at 10:15am.

Romney Way Ahead In New Hampshire

2012 GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney leads the rest of the Republican field by a wide margin in New Hampshire, according to a new poll conducted jointly by Suffolk University and WHDH TV.

Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts who also ran for president in 2008, has a 27-point lead over his nearest rival, Texas Congressman Ron Paul.

With strong ties to the New England area, Romney is expected to win New Hampshire, a key primary state next year. Romney (41%), Paul (14%) and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (10%) were the only candidates to receive double-digit support from voters who took part in the survey.

Just 8% of those who were polled said they preferred the presumptive frontrunner in the race, Texas Governor Rick Perry.

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Biden Reacts To DOJ Muffin Report

Vice President Joe Biden responded Wednesday to a Washington Post report that the Department of Justice paid as much as $16 for muffins at a recent conference.

Biden, who at the direction of President Obama is spearheading a federal effort to cut down on waste, called the news “troubling.”

Here’s Biden’s full statement:

“Last week, I held a Cabinet meeting where I directed agency heads to do more to cut waste in their departments. Today, we saw reports of excessive spending on catering for government conferences. These reports are troubling and reinforce why the President and I launched the Campaign to Cut Waste, a government-wide initiative to reduce spending by making government more effective and more efficient.
Today, at the President’s direction, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Jack Lew directed all agency heads to conduct a thorough review of how they are spending taxpayer dollars on conferences. As this review is underway, all conference-related activities and expenses will have to be signed off on by the Deputy Secretary or an equivalent  chief operating officer of each agency. That way, those at the very top will have to account for these expenses.

I will then reconvene all agency heads at the next Campaign to Cut Waste Cabinet meeting in December, and ask each and every one of them what they are doing to get on top of conference-related expenses and cut waste in this area and in other parts of their operations.

Every day, middle-class families are making tough choices to make ends meet. It is our responsibility to make sure that their taxpayer dollars are not wasted and instead are used to provide the services that Americans rely on and make our economy stronger and our Nation more secure.”