What motivates the "Occupy" movement

HT Fr Z

Paul Ryan for President?!

Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan is strongly considering a run for president. Ryan, who has been quietly meeting with political strategists to discuss a bid over the past three months, is on vacation in Colorado discussing a prospective run with his family. Ryan’s concerns about the effects of a presidential campaign – and perhaps a presidency – on his family have been his primary focus as he thinks through his political future.

“He’s coming around,” says a Republican source close to Ryan, who has been urging the 41-year-old to run.

“With Paul, it’s more about obligation than opportunity,” says another Wisconsin Republican. “He is determined to have the 2012 election be about the big things. If that means he has to run, he’s open to it.”

Ryan hinted at his thinking during a candid interview Friday with Charlie Sykes, an influential talk radio host in Milwaukee, telling Sykes that he was unsatisfied with the current crop of Republican candidates.

Sykes asked Ryan about state of the Republican presidential campaign. “Looking at the Republican field right now, are you confident that the candidates there are able to articulate the issues of the debt and the deficit and the need to reform entitlements in the way that you want to see done?”


Ryan laughed. “Why did you ask me that?”


“You know exactly why I asked you that question.”


“I know. We’ll see. I didn’t see it last night. I haven’t seen it to date. We’ll see. People’s campaigns evolve – they get better. So we’ll see.”

Weekly Standard 

How did I miss that on Sykes?

Since someone asked who's my GOP pick;   Honestly, I haven't had the time to look into it a great deal.  Years past I've always voted Ron Paul in the primaries, mainly to stick it to the Republican establishment.  Do I think neo-libertarian is the way to go?  No.  But do I think any other candidate would or could actually do the work that needs to be done like disbanding the NEA and *gasp* ending the "war"?  No.  It's more than Obama's agenda; the status quo must be challenged.  I'm happy to see some solid pro-life candidates, but the work needed in Washington is much greater than appointing maybe one Supreme Court Justice. 

Could Ryan entering the race change my mind....  Yes.   And not just because he's from Wisconsin.

HT ED

Something to keep in mind

Catholic Posters

Stauch pro-life WI GOP Assembly freshman gets shaft in redistricting maps

As Republicans who run the Legislature rush to redraw maps of legislative districts, a GOP freshman in the Assembly is trying to tweak leaders' plans so he is not drawn into a colleague's district.

Rep. André Jacque (R-Bellevue) is asking Senate Republicans to change the maps so he is not pulled into the district of Rep. John Klenke (R-Green Bay), who like Jacque was elected to the Assembly for the first time in November. In an email to Senate Republicans sent Monday, Jacque called his proposal an improvement over the one drawn by legislative leaders.

Jacque's proposal would change the maps for him, Klenke and Rep. Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay). Details of his proposal have not yet been released, but it has little traction in the Senate.

"I ask for your consideration of this amendment in advance of caucus deliberations (Tuesday) and Wednesday, and greatly appreciate the expressions of support that I have received as discussions of this subject have progressed," Jacque said in his email.

Jacque, Klenke and Bies did not immediately return calls Tuesday morning.

Leaders are hoping to avoid changes to the proposed maps as they head into votes today in the Senate and Wednesday in the Assembly. If they allow changes to some of the district maps, other rank-and-file members would likely seek changes. Eleven pairs of lawmakers have been drawn into the same districts.

"I think everybody would find something with their district they would like to change," said Sen. Rich Zipperer (R-Pewaukee). Zipperer is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which approved the maps last week and forwarded them to the Senate.

"I'm not supporting making that change," Zipperer said. "The map isn't drawn for one individual person or one individual representative."

 MJS

Interesting that a 100% pro-life freshman legislator - already responsible for the resolution commending pregnancy help centers and a proposed legislation banning UW from doing fetal body parts research - would be redistricted....  Oh, and he is rumored to also be considering introducing Personhood in Wisconsin...   hmmmmm

Wiggy: I’m Catholic. We don’t elect religious leaders.

Congressman Michele Bachmann is getting some negative publicity over the beliefs of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Apparently they’re not big fans of the Pope, and even refer to him as the Antichrist. I understand at least one Lutheran leader was so upset at the Catholic Church he vandalized a church door in Germany.

I’m surprised he wasn’t prosecuted for a hate crime.

For the record, I have seen all three of the original Omen movies, and the Pope looks nothing like the Antichrist.

continue at Wigderson Pub

Left-wing Rutgers professor utter Fail attack on Paul Ryan

Susan Feinberg, an associate professor of management and global business at Rutgers University, caused a stir in the left-wing blogosphere over the weekend with her account of witnessing House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan drinking a glass of $350-a-bottle wine at an upscale restaurant near the Capitol.  (Feinberg, who was at the restaurant, Bistro Bis, with her husband to celebrate her birthday, knew the wine was pricey because she could make out the name on the label and checked it on the wine list.)  Feinberg confronted Ryan, accusing him of hypocrisy for drinking an expensive wine while advocating reduced spending for Medicare and Medicaid.  But she didn't stop there.  Feinberg also suggested Ryan might be guilty of ethics violations, secretly snapped a photo of him and two dinner companions, and then took the "story" to Talking Points Memo, the lefty site which ran a high-profile piece suggesting Ryan might be guilty of some sort of wrongdoing.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/07/paul-ryan-accuser-wont-talk#ixzz1RtrsV5E3

Worth reading the whole story. 

HT Creative Minority Report