Free Republic

WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's lower economic growth estimates for this year and next diminish President Obama's already weakened prospects for a second term. Bernanke said Wednesday that the anemic recovery would be a lot slower than he had expected for the remainder of this year and in 2012, when Obama will be up for re-election. The Fed's two-year projections were the political equivalent of a cold shower for Obama, whose mishandling of a persistently weak economy has earned him failing grades from a large majority of the electorate. Bernanke's report that the economy is facing "head winds...

The line being pushed by the Mainstream Media, who seem all to giddy to point out the closeness of Romney in the polls to Obama, and establishment Republicans alike is that Mitt Romney is moderate enough to win. Just look at the poll numbers! In May, Romney was +10 in favorable ratings in AP/GFK (45-35), and in other polls +4 Reuters (36-32), +8 in NBC (28-20). Nothing mindboggling, but decent nonetheless, and, therefor, he has a shot! And he always is close to Obama in the polls. But the reality with Romney is this: He has not been in the...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Political careers are hanging in the balance the morning before the Utah state party conventions. Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, may not be getting as big of a boost as expected from Mitt Romney, who is scheduled to introduce him at Saturday's GOP convention at the Salt Palace. Sen. Bob Bennett Bennett hopes Romney will be the wild card that draws more delegates to his side. But a Dan Jones & Associates poll for KSL TV and the Deseret News shows Romney isn't as popular with delegates as he is with the general population. Seventy-six percent of...

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R) and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) have both now confirmed that they will not attend the Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC), which is taking place April 8-11 in New Orleans. Their absence is notable in the sense that they are the two who have been most noticeably planning for a run in 2012 and this is a chance to speak to a major group of conservative activists. Pawlenty had been scheduled to attend and was even advertised on the website as a featured speaker. The Minnesota Governor has pulled out however to attend the...

From his Free and Strong America PAC this morning: Today, Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC announced a new donation program, dubbed “Prescription for Repeal,” to support conservative candidates who will repeal the worst aspects of Obamacare and restore commonsense principles to health care. The first wave of endorsements goes to three conservative leaders in key Ohio Congressional Districts. The PAC will send each of the endorsed candidates a primary election contribution of $2,500. They are:

Mitt Romney's new book, "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness," will debut on top of the New York Times bestseller list due out March 21.Romney's book tour has, so far, attracted pretty large crowds, serving -- along with the book sales -- to reassure his supporters that, though he may not draw Sarah Palin style hordes, he's a figure of genuine popular interest. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0310/Romney_tops_bestseller_list.html?showall

<p>In the category of it’s never too early to start looking, a new poll found Mitt Romney is the early favorite in Texas for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.</p> <p>The survey by Public Policy Polling of North Carolina found Romney leading with 32 percent support, followed by Mike Huckabee at 29 percent and 23 percent for Sarah Palin.</p>