Obama Rewards Loyalists Eva Longoria and Kal Penn With Big Campaign Roles

The two actors are named national "co-chairs" of Obama's campaign, along with 33 other strategic supporters.

The nearly three dozen re-election committee “co-chairs” named by President Barack Obama Wednesday are an interesting indication of the incumbent’s strategic thinking as his campaign shifts into high gear. Taken together, the appointees are a roadmap not just to where the president and his political advisers see his support, but also to where they hope to deepen or extend it.

Two of the 35 nominees — Eva Longoria and Harold and Kumar star Kal Penn (real name Kalpen Modi) are longtime and unwavering Obama supporters. She vigorously campaigned for him last time around and he actually served for a time as associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. Their appointment recognizes not simply their personal loyalty to the president, but also the importance Obama and his political strategists attach to Hollywood in this crucial stage of their reelection effort. They’ll be looking to the entertainment industry for both contributions and high visibility celebrity endorsements of the sort both Longoria and Penn provide.

One of the striking things about the co-chair list is the number of Latinos — seven (or one out of every five appointees.) The Latino vote went to Obama in 2008, but hard economic times have battered many communities of recent immigrants — like Los Angeles — and some activists have been disappointed by the president’s tepid engagement with the issue of comprehensive immigration reform. Wednesday’s appointments indicate that the Obama reelection campaign is determined to shore up its Latino base with appointments ranging from San Antonio’s popular mayor Julian Castro to Los Angeles chief executive Antonio Villaraigosa and local labor leader Maria Elena Durazo of the AFL-CIO.
Apart from Latinos, the biggest single bloc among Obama’s new co-chairs consists of Californians, who occupy six of the slots. They include not only Durazo and Villaraigosa, but also two of the state party’s rising stars, San Gabriel Valley congresswoman Judy Chu and state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, another of Hollywood’s political darlings.
According to the Obama reelection campaign, the new co-chairs will act as the president’s electoral ambassadors with a special emphasize on getting out the vote in all 50 states.

Power Players in Hollywood that Support the GOP

Harry Sloan


Tthe former MGM chairman is the GOP’s main man in Hollywood, a job that requires perseverance, unshakable optimism and a sense of humor. The entertainment veteran has all three, which is why he’s popular on both sides of the aisle. He tells THR that he thinks “there will be more support [for the republican nominee] in the entertainment industry as we get closer to the election.”


 

Jerry Perenchio


The former Univision chief has given $500,000 to restore our future, the super PAC supporting Mitt Romney’s candidacy. That’s on top of the more than $2 million the former agent has donated this election cycle to another Republican super PAC, American Crossroads, which was co-founded by former George W. Bush senior adviser Karl Rove.

Bruce Ramer


One of california’s most powerful attorneys, Ramer is chair of USC’s Institute on Entertainment Law and Business. George W. Bush put him on the corporation for public broadcasting board, and he’s now its chair. He’s typical of L.A.’s fiscal- conservative Romney supporters.

.Ben Affleck-Hosted Fundraiser for Elizabeth Warren Draws Big Stars, Big Bucks

The actor joined up with Matt Damon and "The Office’s" John Krasinski to raise more than $250,000 at a star-studded fundraiser for Warren's senatorial campaign.


Some of Ben Affleck’s best cinematic moments have come writing about or portraying guys from legendarily tough South Boston. And if there’s one thing the “Southie” tough guys with hearts of gold understand, it’s loyalty to their neighborhood and their crew.

Affleck, as resourceful in real life as the street-wise characters he plays so well, put on a display of that fabled he-did-it-for-a-friend loyalty this week, when he stepped in to stage a major fundraiser for consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren, who is fighting to reclaim Ted Kennedy’s Massachusetts Senate seat for the Democrats. Warren, a Harvard Law professor and former Obama administration aide, is locked in a tight and expensive race with former Tea Party favorite Scott Brown, whose campaign has been a major recipient of Wall Street donations. Hollywood contributions have helped narrow the gap in race that may be too close to call.

The event at J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production studio in Santa Monica on Monday was billed as “A Massachusetts Evening,” and Affleck’s co-hosts were Matt Damon and The Office’s John Krasinski. Both Damon and Krasinski, however, were filming on location and couldn’t attend the fundraiser. Affleck went to work on his own to make sure the event was packed. It drew about 150 Hollywood donors, along with more than 200 individual donations to the Warren senatorial effort.
Attendees included Affleck's wife Jennifer Garner, Reese Witherspoon, Zach Braff, Dana Delany, Tobey Maguire, Ed Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, Alan Horn and Writers Guild president Chris Keyser. Other contributors included Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Sally Field, Michael King, Harvey Weinstein and Alan Ladd Jr.
Although the campaign declined to release precise numbers, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter the night waa major success. Warren’s fundraisers had set a goal of $250,000 for the evening, and with donations ranging from $1,000 to $1,500 per person, they far exceeded that figure.
It was the first time Affleck has thrown himself personally into a major political fundraiser, but when word hits the street about that haul, it probably won’t be the last.

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Student Who Recorded Teacher Yelling at Him for Criticizing President Obama Speaks Out

A teacher is now suspended with pay after audio was found of her yelling at a student for criticizing President Obama. It all began in the classroom when the topic of the day was a discussion regarding GOP contender Mitt Romney being a bully in high school. When the student challenged the teacher, the audio reveals she began yelling at him.

In the audio clip, she said, “That’s disrespect!” The student then responds, “You’re disrespecting Romney!” That, of course, prompts another response from the teacher, who says, “How’s that disrespect? He’s not the president! You will not disrespect the President of the United States in this classroom!”

The student involved in that incident, Hunter Rogers, and his mother, Gina Rogers, spoke out about this matter on today’s Fox and Friends. After he asked the teacher if Obama had been a bully, he said she immediately got defensive and responded, “Not to my knowledge.”

When he played the audio tape of his argument with the teacher for his mom, she said her immediate reaction was “shocked.” While Gina doesn’t think the teacher should have started a political discussion in the classroom, her biggest concern is that the teacher is not teaching students factual information.

Hunter responded, “I’ve been told in my life that you’d have to threaten the president to get arrested, and she kept telling me over and over again people were arrested for disrespecting and slandering the president. At the time, I wanted to laugh.”

Jon Lovitz: "There’s been no backlash because what I said is true.”

Jon Lovitz said that his well-publicized rant against President Barack Obama, where he called him an “f---ing asshole” for encouraging class warfare, might have been a good career move.

A surprised Hannity, who has said many times on TV and radio that Hollywood is hostile to those who don’t toe the liberal line, introduced Lovitz with: “He says he’s receiving calls of support within the entertainment community.”

“I found out a TV show I did a pilot of, I’m pretty sure it got picked up today,” Lovitz said. “I’m getting book offers, I’m getting other TV offers, I’m getting movie offers. There’s been no backlash because what I said is true.”

RealClearPolitics.com was among the earliest sites to post the clip, and it quickly took off from there, becoming nearly as viral as the original rant that made Lovitz -- a self-described "liberal" -- suddenly a darling of conservative media.
The rant in question took place several months ago at Lovitz’s comedy club at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles. There, while interviewed by filmmaker Kevin Smith, Lovitz went on a profanity-laced tear that included: “This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don’t pay their taxes is f---ing bullshit, and I voted for the guy and I’m a Democrat. What a f---ing asshole!”The event was recorded and released as a podcast in late April.
Also on Thursday's Hannity, Lovitz mocked the president for what he perceives as demonizing the rich while also courting their favor.
“You know, they’re not paying their fair share of taxes, now I’m going over to George Clooney’s house to get money from the millionaires and billionaires,” Lovitz said, imitating Obama and referencing a recent fundraising dinner at the star's house. “And he collected $15 million!”
Lovitz ended on a note of encouragement for Hannity.
“I hope you and Al Franken make up and become friends, “ he said.
“Hell will freeze over first,” Hannity responded. Full video of the interview is below:

Jon Lovitz: 'You're a racist if you disagree with Barack Obama"

Welcome to the "you're a racist if you disagree with Barack Obama" club, Jon Lovitz! Yesterday the Hollywood comedian appeared on Fox News with Megyn Kelly to not only express his disagreements with President Obama's vilify the rich rhetoric, but to also explain how he has been treated after telling a live audience that the idea that the rich don't pay their fair share of taxes is a bunch of bull.

New Questions: Barack Obama born in Kenya

Breitbart News has obtained a promotional booklet produced in 1991 by Barack Obama's then-literary agency, Acton & Dystel, which touts Obama as "born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii."

The booklet, which was distributed to "business colleagues" in the publishing industry, includes a brief biography of Obama among the biographies of eighty-nine other authors represented by Acton & Dystel.
It also promotes Obama's anticipated first book, Journeys in Black and White--which Obama abandoned, later publishing Dreams from My Father instead.
Obama’s biography in the booklet is as follows (image and text below):
Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, was born in Kenya and raised in Indonesia and Hawaii. The son of an American anthropologist and a Kenyan finance minister, he attended Columbia University and worked as a financial journalist and editor for Business International Corporation. He served as project coordinator in Harlem for the New York Public Interest Research Group, and was Executive Director of the Developing Communities Project in Chicago’s South Side. His commitment to social and racial issues will be evident in his first book, Journeys in Black and White.


The booklet, which is thirty-six pages long, is printed in blue ink (and, on the cover, silver/grey ink), using offset lithography. It purports to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of Acton & Dystel, which was founded in 1976.

Hollywood Steps Up Effort to Influence Presidential Election 2012 for Obama

In what is shaping up as the first major deal made on the ground at the Cannes Film Festival, The Weinstein Company is in hot and heavy negotiations for U.S. rights to Code Name Geronimo, the John Stockwell-directed drama about the manhunt for 9/11 terror attack mastermind Osama bin Laden. The deal is in the $2 million range, and is being negotiated on the basis of a trailer for a film that is in post-production.

That footage was unveiled today by Voltage Pictures’ Nicolas Chartier and WME Global’s Graham Taylor (who just landed in Cannes), and Weinstein moved quickly to hammer out a deal with attorney Craig Emanuel.

What is most intriguing about this is that TWC can put the film into theaters in early fall, a move that would put it before the Kathryn Bigelow-directed Zero Dark Thirty. That film, which has an ensemble cast including Joel Edgerton and Jessica Chastain, won’t be released until December 19 after Sony Pictures decided not to put it in theaters during the presidential elections. Already it is clear that President Obama’s green light of the SEAL Team 6 mission will be a major issue in the upcoming presidential campaign, and Republicans have already railed against the notion that writer Mark Boal got inside information from the administration for his script.

Related: Kathryn Bigelow Bin Laden Film Getting DC Scrutiny

The other intriguing thing is that a significant player in the sales effort for Code Name Geronimo is Chartier, who shared the Best Picture Academy Award with Bigelow, Boal and Greg Shapiro on The Hurt Locker. Now they’ve got rival films.

Scripted by Kendall Lampkin, Code Name Geronimo stars William Fichtner, Xhibit, Freddy Rodriguez, Anson Mount and Cam Gigandet and it is very much in the tense ensemble style of Act Of Valor. The logline: A break in the manhunt for Osama bin Laden serves as the riveting backdrop for a gripping story about the combined efforts of an extraordinary group of Navy SEALS. This is the story of a clandestine op, a perfect storm of people, and the rare synergy of circumstances that would amount to the most daring military op of our generation.
Voltage’s Chartier will now sell foreign territories on the film.

The HCU changes it's tag '-a refuge for patriots across the GLOBE!'

The growing global popularity of the website www.hollywoodsconservativeunderground.com has moved the organization to change its long standing tag line from ‘-a refuge for patriots coast-to-coast!’ to ‘-a refuge for patriots across the GLOBE!’

The reputation and straightforward articles have expanded beyond just the US. The blog has seen substantial upsurges in viewership and advertising sales. Viewership across Europe has seen a 500% growth since last year and there are no signs that is slowing down as the elections fast approach. “I think our content provides people easy access to what is hot between politics, Hollywood left and unusual stories” says Christopher Cochran, President of the provocative website. “People are interested in how Hollywood and Politics mix because the end result is something that is extraordinary uproarious”

Letterman Campaigns For Obama On 'Late Show': 'What More Do We Want This Man To Do For Us, Honest To God?

In another attempt to 'Bash Bush', host David Letterman pitches for Barack Obama.  As you will see in this video, Dave once again shows his undying love for the President.  Come on Dave.......... your just not funny anymore.  Stay out of politics and stick to your 7th grade humor.

Shock Poll: Romney now leads among women

President Obama’s claim that the GOP is mounting a war on women has proven to be a failure. A month into his assault on the Republicans and Mitt Romney, the new CBS-New York Times poll shows that the GOP presidential candidate now leads among women--and men.

Since April, women have gone from strongly backing Obama to endorsing Romney. In April, Obama held a 49 percent to 43 percent lead among women. That has now flipped to 46 percent backing Romney with 44 percent for Obama, an 8-point switch.

Ironically, Romney’s support among men has dropped, but he still edges Obama 45 percent to 42 percent.

And here’s a surprise: Despite the media hyping the so-called war on women, no major outlet today noticed Romney’s new lead with women voters.

“This is unbelievable,” said conservative consultant Greg Mueller. “The CBS story manages to not mention the change in women numbers,” he said, adding sarcastically. “No media bias here -- Obama is getting fluffy stories about his commencement speech to women at Barnard -- so we better bury the reality.”

Backlash Poll: Obama Trails Romney 7%

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows Mitt Romney earning 50% of the vote and President Obama attracting 43% support. Four percent (4%) would vote for a third party candidate, while another three percent (3%) are undecided.

Matchup results are updated daily at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily e-mail update).

This is the first time Romney has reached the 50% level of support and is his largest lead ever over the president. It comes a week after a disappointing jobs report that raised new questions about the state of the economy. See tracking history.

Thirty-seven percent (37%) give the president good or excellent marks for his handling of the economy.  Forty-eight percent (48%) say he’s doing a poor job. Consumer confidence has slipped four points since last week’s government report on job creation and unemployment. The number who believe their personal finances are getting better slipped from 30% a week ago to 28% today. The number who fear their finances are getting worse increased from 43% before the jobs report to 47% today.

Scott Rasmussen’s weekly syndicated column notes that Senator Richard Lugar’s loss in a Republican primary highlights the sour relationship between voters and politicians.  “In many troubled relationships, both sides deserve some of the blame.  But the United States is a nation founded on the belief that governments gain their legitimacy only from the consent of the governed. In the relationship between the people and the Political Class, that means the voters are right, and the politicians need to change.” 

Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters are angry at the policies of the federal government. Fifty-three percent (53%) believe neither Republican nor Democratic political leaders have a good understanding of what is needed today.

Governor Scott Walker has a modest lead as he seeks to keep his job in the Wisconsin recall battle.

A president’s Job Approval rating is one of the best indicators for assessing his chances of reelection. Typically, the president’s Job Approval rating on Election Day will be close to the share of the vote he receives. Currently, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the president's job performance. That’s his lowest level of approval in two months. Fifty-five percent (55%) at least somewhat disapprove (see trends).

Political analyst Larry Sabato takes a look at the congressional elections and wonders if the Senate is fit to be tied.

Thirty-one percent (31%) believe the country is generally heading in the right direction.

Eight-out-of-10 believe that the events in Europe could have a negative impact on the U.S. economy.Sixty-one percent (61%) believe the best thing the Europeans can do to help their economy is to cut government spending.

To get a sense of longer-term Job Approval trends for the president, Rasmussen Reports also compiles our tracking data on a full month-by-month basis.

Obama raising Hollywood cash on heels of gay marriage endorsement

President Obama and his aides claim they're just not sure how his endorsement of same-sex marriage will play politically.
But his campaign is pushing awfully hard to make sure it plays well.
The campaign, within hours of Obama's interview in which he declared for the first time his support for gay marriage, blasted out a fundraising email to supporters. At dawn on Thursday, the campaign released a web video highlighting the president's new-found stance and lambasting likely GOP opponent Mitt Romney's opposition to gay marriage.
Now the president is preparing to head to a sold-out fundraiser Thursday evening at George Clooney's home in Los Angeles -- where he is sure to be embraced by well-heeled celebrity donors.
Hollywood is home to some of the most high-profile backers of gay marriage and the 150 donors who are paying $40,000 to attend Clooney's dinner Thursday night will no doubt feel newly invigorated by Obama's watershed announcement the day before.

Overall, the dinner is expected to raise close to $15 million -- about $6 million from the guests and the rest from a campaign contest for small-dollar donors, the winners of which get to participate in the dinner. It is an unprecedented amount for a single event. And it means that in one single evening the Obama camp and the Democratic Party will collect more than Romney has amassed in his best single month of fundraising.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday rejected any suggestion that the president was looking to use his announcement to raise campaign funds.

"I really dismiss the idea that this had anything to do with money, I really do," she said.
Obama, in newly aired excerpts of his ABC News interview on gay marriage, said he'd already "made a decision that we were going to probably take this position before the election and before the convention."
As to why Obama decided to make the announcement Wednesday, he suggested Vice President Biden's comments over the weekend in support of gay marriage nudged him.
"He probably got out a little bit over his skis," Obama said.
He added: "Would I have preferred to have done this in my own way, in my own terms without, I think, there being a lot of notice to everybody? Sure, but all's well that ends well."
Obama's campaign was not shy about drawing attention to the announcement.
By Wednesday evening, he had sent out a campaign email saying: "Today, I was asked a direct question and gave a direct answer: I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry."
The email included a link for supporters to donate to the campaign.
His campaign on Thursday morning released a web video titled: "Mitt Romney: Backwards on Equality."
The video launched with a clip of Obama's ABC News interview, followed by a clip of Romney saying he opposes gay marriage and civil unions if they are "identical" to gay marriage in all but name.
The video went on to list the rights that Romney would allegedly "deny," claiming at the end that Obama is "moving us forward" while Romney "would take us back."
Republicans, meanwhile, have accused the president of playing politics with his announcement.
Romney, asked about the issue Wednesday, said he has "the same view on marriage that I had when I was governor and that I expressed many times. I believe marriage is between a man and a woman."
Before heading to Hollywood, Obama will also hold fundraisers earlier in the day Thursday in Seattle, where he was expected to collect at least $3 million toward his re-election effort. On Friday, he will fly to Nevada, a highly contested state, where he will call for housing relief in a speech in Reno.
But Obama's support of gay marriage will be dominant, culminating in yet another fundraiser Monday in New York sponsored by gay and Latino Obama supporters.
Even though Obama doesn't have the power to make same-sex marriage legal, his announcement was the first by a sitting president.
As much as his announcement may energize his core backers, however, gay marriage remains enough of a divisive issue that there could be political risks. If opposition to gay marriage drives even a sliver of the voting population, it could make a difference in close swing states. Moreover, it could boost fundraising for social conservative groups that are mounting their own campaigns against Obama and galvanize conservatives still uncertain about Romney's commitment to their causes.
"Twenty-four hours ago, we were talking about what Romney had to do to get social conservatives on board," said Ralph Reed, chairman of the conservative Faith & Freedom Coalition. "Now, they're scrambling for a seat in first class."
Clooney's dinner Thursday evening was organized by Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO of DreamWorks Animation, and will include such celebrity guests as Robert Downey Jr. and Barbra Streisand. The event was initially to be a spring gala hosted by Katzenberg at his house.

Hip-hop legend MCA passes on; Obama says not a word

This column is about politics. Today, it’s not. Still, there’s Watergate, Paul Revere, Edward R. Murrow, fighting for your right, so, kinda still.
Adam Nathaniel Yauch died Friday. If you’re age 16-66 — maybe 106 — you know him as MCA, one-third of the Beastie Boys. He was 47. Way too young. But gone.

Now, half-white Barack Obama didn’t say a word, even though he was talking to college kids that day, but make no mistake, MCA was no Jay-Z or Kanye West. This guy was the real deal, groundbreaker, up from his bootstraps, Brooklyn boy made good. Funny the “coolest president ever” doesn’t say a word about the passing of MCA. Weird and kinda sad, actually.
“Yauch was born an only child in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Frances, a social worker, and Noel Yauch, a painter and architect,” Wikipedia says. “His father was Catholic and his mother was Jewish.” Kinda like Barack, all over the place, half this, half that, and a tough life ahead from the outset. But nothing from the first half-white, half-black president (MSM has made him black — he’s not; he’s half-and-half. No, Trayvon Martin wouldn’t have looked like his son.)
The boys, the Beastie Boys, started out as a thrash hard-core punk band in ‘79, at the tail end of the movement. The Sex Pistols, Bad Brains, Dead Kennedys, 999, were lighting up America, banging CBGB, 930 Club, every stop on the scene. But the Boys were on the tail end of the punk movement and were looking for a new sound (they definitely weren’t going new wave).
But wait: Rap didn’t really exist yet, but hip-hop was just starting. Could three Brooklyn boys do THAT? Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC and LL Cool J were rocking the mic. Maybe these white boys could deliver.
So, “Licensed to Ill.” “Three Idiots Create a Masterpiece,” Rolling Stone said after the LP’s release. Oh, and the album happened to include one little song: “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” — a rock anthem seared in the heart of every 16-year-old bristling for freedom.
Then they toured with Madonna. Really. That was when I first saw them. Some girls I knew said, “Hey, wanna’ see Madonna?” I was all, “Uh, no!” Then they said, “Opening are some guys called the, uh, Beastie Boys?” I was there. Even though the 13-year-old girls packing the arena were horrified — horrified — the Boys blasted it out.
In 1994, Mr. Yauch rocked the bass on “Sabotage.” “Ahhhhh, I can’t stand it, I know you planned it, I’m gonna set it straight, this Watergate, I can’t stand rocking when I’m in here, ‘cause your crystal ball ain’t so crystal clear.” And just like that — wham! — punk and hip-hop were fused together forever. The song also features one of the top three all-time rock screams, perhaps even a close second to Roger Daltry in “Won’t Get Fooled Again.”
The news of MCA’s death reverberated around the world. SiriusXM went live with a tribute, featuring regular joes calling in to recount their first encounter with the band (a remarkable number of 19-year-olds called in; they weren’t even born when the Boys started out). My own daughter, a college freshman, was distraught. “How am I supposed to study when one of the Beastie Boys died. Now I’ll never get to live my dream of seeing them!”
Rockers, celebrities, football coaches — even politicians — took a moment to remember MCA. “RIP MCA U are a Legend and a pioneer. #BeastieBoys4life,” Snoop Dogg wrote. “RIP Adam Yauch,” tweeted Kevin Smith. “You made my teenage years more fun and your art made it easier for me to do what I do. For a Beastie, you sure were a beaut.” “Friday afternoon playlist all Beasties: No Sleep Til Brooklyn, So What’cha Want, Hey Ladies, Intergalatic, Sabotage,” tweeted Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz.
Mike Doughty remembered, too: “1994: Yauch storms the podium at the VMAs, doesn’t get thrown off as fast as he thought, and blurts, ‘Um … and Star Wars was my idea!’ ” Even Sen. Chuck “Facetime” Schumer, New York Democrat, weighed in with his own hip-hop tribute: “Born and Bred in Brooklyn, U.S.A., they call him Adam Yauch, but he’s M.C.A.”
The president took time from his busy schedule to comment on the passing of black musicians. When Whitney Houston, a longtime crack addict, died this year, the White House put out a statement. “I know that [Mr. Obama‘s] thoughts and prayers are with her family, especially her daughter,” press secretary Jay Carney said. “It’s a tragedy to lose somebody so talented at such a young age.”
And when accused pedophile and drug addict Michael Jackson died in 2009, the White House weighed in with the president’s thoughts. “He said to me that obviously, Michael Jackson was a spectacular performer, a music icon,” spokesman Roberet Gibbs said. “And his condolences went out to the Jackson family and to fans that mourned his loss.”
Mr. Obama is said to have 2,000 songs on his iPod, but he’s never mentioned the Beastie Boys. Too bad. He could learn so much from them. Still can.
“The true key is a trust in self, For when I trust myself, I fear no one else, I took control of my life, just as anyone can, I want everyone to see it’s in the palm of your hand, The past is gone, the future yet unborn, But right here and now is where it all goes on.” RIP MCA.
By Joseph Curl - Washington Times

Employers in the U.S. added fewer workers than forecast in April and the jobless rate unexpectedly declined as people left the labor force, underscoring concern the world’s largest economy may be losing speed.

Payrolls climbed 115,000, the smallest gain in six months, after a revised 154,000 rise in March that was more than initially estimated, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median estimate of 85 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a 160,000 advance. The jobless rate fell to a three-year low of 8.1 percent and earnings stagnated.

Jan Hatzius, chief economist at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., talks about the U.S. economy and the April employment report. He speaks with Erik Schatzker and Stephanie Ruhle on Bloomberg Television's "InsideTrack." James Tisch, chief executive officer of Loews Corp., also speaks. (Source: Bloomberg).

A slowdown in hiring as corporate optimism cools may restrain the wage growth needed to fuel consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy. Federal Reserve policy makers view unemployment as “elevated” and plan to hold borrowing costs low through late 2014.
“The labor market isn’t improving all that much,” Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina, said before the report. “Layoffs have slowed but hiring hasn’t really picked up. The next couple of months are going to be challenging. The Fed’s caution is well-placed.”
Transportation and warehousing, government agencies and construction all cut jobs in April. Bloomberg survey estimates ranged from increases of 89,000 to 210,000 after a previously reported 120,000 rise in March. Revisions added a total of 53,000 jobs to payrolls in February and March.
The jobs data come six months before Americans head to the polls to either re-elect President Barack Obama or choose Republican Mitt Romney, who has said White House policies have done little to help U.S. workers.

Unemployment Rate

The unemployment rate was forecast to hold at 8.2 percent, according to the survey median. Estimates in the Bloomberg survey ranged from 8.1 percent to 8.3 percent. Unemployment has exceeded 8 percent since February 2009, the longest such stretch since monthly records began in 1948. The participation rate, which indicates the share of working-age people in the labor force, fell to 63.6 percent, the lowest since December 1981, from 63.8 percent. Private payrolls, which exclude government agencies, rose 130,000 after a revised gain of 166,000. They were projected to rise by 165,000, the survey showed. Factory payrolls increased by 16,000, the smallest in five months and less than the survey forecast of a 20,000 increase.
Employment at service-providers increased 101,000 in April, the smallest gain since August. Construction companies cut 2,000 jobs and retailers added 29,300 employees.

Government Jobs

Government payrolls decreased by 15,000. State and local governments employment dropped by 11,000.
Evan Christou, owner of Tops American Grill, Bakery & Bar in Schenectady, New York, said at this time he has no plans to add to his staff of 42 employees. His sales were up about 6 percent earlier this year before dropping off when gas prices went up. He said he would need to see a significant increase in sales for a sustained period before hiring more workers.
“We’re kind of consolidating and multi-tasking,” said Christou, 49. “In this market, it’s pretty much a wait-and-see attitude.”
Average hourly earnings were essentially unchanged, the weakest since August, at $23.38, today’s report showed. Compared with April of last year, earnings climbed 1.8 percent, matching January as the smallest in a year. The average work week for all workers held at 34.5.

Underemployment Rate

The so-called underemployment rate -- which includes part- time workers who’d prefer a full-time position and people who want work but have given up looking -- held at 14.5 percent.
The report also showed a drop in long-term unemployed Americans. The number of people unemployed for 27 weeks or more decreased as a percentage of all jobless, to 41.3 percent.
The number of temporary workers increased 21,100. Payroll at temporary-help agencies often slow as companies seeing a steady increase in demand take on permanent staff.
Faster economic growth would help lay the groundwork for more hiring. The economy expanded at a 2.2 percent annual rate in the first quarter after a 3 percent pace the prior three months, the Commerce Department reported last week. Consumer spending grew 2.9 percent, the most in more than a year.
Chrysler Group LLC, the automaker controlled by Fiat SpA, said it will accelerate the addition of 1,100 jobs and a third crew of workers by hiring them in November, pulling ahead plans for increasing production in early 2013. Earlier this week, it also said four plants will skip normally scheduled two-week midyear shutdowns to meet increased demand.

Auto Sales

Chrysler led the five largest automakers by U.S. sales in exceeding analysts’ estimates for April, reporting a 20 percent jump. Chrysler, Ford Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. this week said they will add shifts at factories this year. General Motors Co. (GM), the top-selling automaker in the U.S., raised its forecast for full-year U.S. light-vehicle sales. “Over time, we believe that strength in the manufacturing sector and strong retail sales will continue to lead to more job creation,” Don Johnson, vice president of U.S. sales at GM, said on a May 1 conference call with analysts. “That’s going to help more consumers put the recession behind them, gaining even more confidence and drive vehicle sales higher.” The improvement in the U.S. contrasts with some of the other major economies. Joblessness in the 17-nation euro area increased to 10.9 percent in March, the highest since April 1997, from 10.8 percent a month earlier, data showed this week.

UPS Positive

United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS), the world’s largest package- delivery company, is among firms taking note.

“During the quarter, the most positive news has come from the U.S. where indications of economic rebound are evident,” Scott Davis, chief executive officer of UPS, said on an April 26 conference call. “Retail sales have grown faster than expected and the employment environment has improved. On the other hand, economies in other parts of the world continue to face challenges.” At the same time, cost-cutting is prompting reductions at some companies. H&R Block Inc. (HRB), the biggest U.S. tax preparer, plans to reduce 350 jobs and close about 200 company-owned offices. AMR Corp.’s American Airlines this month said it will eliminate 1,200 airport agent, baggage and cargo jobs as part of a bankruptcy restructuring plan to trim annual labor spending.

“Labor market conditions have improved in recent months; the unemployment rate has declined but remains elevated,” Fed policy makers said in an April 25 statement. The group “expects economic growth to remain moderate over coming quarters and then to pick up gradually,” and “anticipates that the unemployment rate will decline gradually.” The central bankers last month repeated their plan to hold borrowing costs low through late 2014 to spur growth. Fed officials also cut forecasts for the jobless rate, to an average 7.8 percent to 8 percent in the fourth quarter from a January projection of 8.2 percent to 8.5 percent, according to central tendency estimates released April 25.

Jon Lovitz goes off President Obama...AGAIN!

“Saturday Night Live” comedic legend Jon Lovitz is doubling down on his harsh criticism of Barack Obama’s alleged wealth confiscation and redistribution policies, claiming the president is lying to Americans.

http://www.rcg.org“the/ President is lying to get votes … it’s obvious and transparent,” Lovitz, a self-proclaimed Democrat who voted for Obama in 2008, said on his Twitter feed Saturday night.
Lovitz was responding to criticism from those apparently in his own party, after the comic in January went on a graphic, four-letter word diatribe against Obama, calling him “a f—ing a–hole.”
Lovitz seemed a bit surprised his comments became widely reported, tweeting, “Because I criticized the President, it’s news? Last I checked, he’s President, not King! This is America! Freedom of Speech. what’s the bfd?”
One apparent liberal named Peg said to Lovitz, “This is red meat for conservatives who are trying to prove the whole country hates him, you gave them ammo, they’re using it.”
“Excuse me,” responded Lovitz, “the President is lying … I just pointed it out. It’s not my fault he’s lying.”
He added: “I haven’t gotten any backlash. I am a Democrat and liberal … Liberal, from the word “Liberty” Freedom to be who you are … be it conservative, democrat, republican, libertarian … liberal … freedom to be true to yourself … that’s what liberal means.”
Another critic told Lovitz, “You criticized the wrong president. If you’d blasted Bush, you’d be funny, smart, and possibly a hero.”

“I have blasted Bush … in my stand up act,” said Lovitz. “No one commented on it, though.”
Someone with a handle of Dan The Man told Lovitz he should pay more in taxes: “The majority of celebrities I’ve seen on TV lately say they make a lot of money & they don’t mind paying a lil more.”
Lovitz responded, “I don’t mind paying a little more. I pay my fair share now. The President is lying to get votes…it’s obvious and transparent.”
Coretta Graham then tweeted her own obscenities, telling Lovitz, “U Sir are the F*** A-hole. The rich (people making over 250k) do not pay their fair share of taxes. That is a Fact.”
“Well, you’ve proven my point,” said Lovitz. “You believe the propaganda. I know what I am paying in taxes. You are being lied to.”
“I was upset with the President LYING,” he added. “I pay my fair share of taxes and so does everyone else I know who is in the same tax bracket.”
Lovitz, best known for his catchphrase of “Yeah, that’s the ticket” by his character, the pathological liar Tommy Flanagan, dropped the F-bomb on Obama in a January podcast that became widely known last week.
The podcast, titled “The ABC’s of SNL,” was co-hosted by filmmaker Kevin Smith, and billed as being recorded “live from the Jon Lovitz Podcast Theatre.” (WARNING: Comments made in the YouTube video of the event contain obscene material.)

Lovitz said: “This whole thing with Obama saying the rich don’t pay their taxes is f—ing bullsh–. And I voted for the guy, and I’m a Democrat. What a f—ing a–hole. The rich don’t pay their taxes? Let me tell you something, right. First they say to you, you’re dead broke, ‘the United States of America, you can do anything you want, go for it.’ So then you go for it and then you make it, and everyone’s like ‘f— you.’”

Lovitz went on to say Obama “is the perfect example. He’s amazing. He had nothing. He had no father. He was, you know, of mixed race which is a burden in the United, don’t kid yourself, you know, growing up like that, and no money, and the guy ends up being at Harvard. He’s the President of the United States. And now he’s like, f— me!”

Since his “Saturday Night Live” days, Lovitz has appeared in numerous movies, from “Big” with Tom Hanks, to 2010′s “Casino Jack,” the story of notorious Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

His fellow cast member, Victoria Jackson, who’s now a WND columnist, made national headlines in March 2010 when she released a song on YouTube titled, “There’s a Communist in the White House,” which has collected more than a half-million views.