Poll: Voters Want GOP President, Just None of the Republican Candidates (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | More voters than not would like to see that the Obama administration end its run by January 2013, according to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. However, it would appear that a majority of those same people would put Obama back in the White House for another four years if given the choice between voting for him and voting for any of his Republican opponents.

Because of various problems seen facing the nation -- sluggish economy, high unemployment, immigration issues -- there are many who are frustrated and/or disappointed with the Obama administration, so much so in some respects as to want to replace him come the 2012 national elections. However, doing so would require a candidate from the other major political party, the GOP, to be produced, nominated, and eventually elected. Doing just that -- getting one of the Republican contenders elected -- might be the most difficult hurdle Republicans will face. Because even though sentiment seems to have risen to the point where people would most likely vote for the generic, unnamed Republican candidate, those specific candidates -- when a name is attached to them -- lose to the incumbent president.

Sounds contradictory, does it not? However, like most things generalized, whatever is being generalized can be acceptable or unacceptable in a blanket reaction. But when it comes to specific items, persons, places, issues, etc., one may be preferred over the other, giving more favorable weight to that which was least popular in the general sense. In the case of President Barack Obama, there is a general feeling that he seems to be an adequate president but there may be someone who can do a better job. But when particular replacement candidates are put forth, the cumulative value of what makes Obama a good or better president (hypothetically, of course) seems to rise above those of his challenger.

According to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, as many as 45 percent of respondents said they would most likely vote for the Republican candidate, whereas 43 percent said they would vote for President Obama. At the same time, the poll indicated that even former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who has recently surged to fore of other national preference polls (as tracked by Real Clear Politics) and posted a 40 percent to 23 percent lead over second-place Mitt Romney, could not muster enough general voter support to defeat Obama in a head-to-head match-up.

The poll further indicated that Obama would win a contest against Gingrich, if the election were held today, by a margin of 51 percent to 40 percent. It is a far closer score than was recorded in November, though, when Obama had an 18-point advantage. But that, too, was also before Gingrich's rise in the Republican polls.

The other major contenders do not win against Obama, either. However, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney seems to fare best (and within the margin of error). Also closing the gap from his November performance (where he finished six points back of Obama), Romney only trailed the president by two points, 45 percent to 47 percent.

Texas congressman Ron Paul, who posted the third highest support numbers among Republican voters (9 percent), fared worse than did Gingrich, finishing 13 points behind the incumbent.

It would appear that such a contradiction among voters -- wanting to replace the president but not wanting to replace him with the candidates offering themselves up for the job -- might lead to the rise of a strong third party candidate. Such talk has been offered by businessman Donald Trump, who recently declined to moderate a Republican presidential debate due to the opposition to his remarks of perhaps mounting an independent run for the presidency. Former 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has commented numerous times that she would consider an independent run for office should none of the candidates look as if they were able to win against Obama. Even current third place polling Ron Paul has yet to rule out running as an independent should he eventually fail to win the GOP nomination.

But detractors of the third party idea point to the siphoning of potential votes for the eventual Republican nominee and note the precedent of elections where third party candidates John Anderson and Ross Perot have garnered millions of votes that could have gone to other major party candidates. Perot's 1992 showing, pulling in almost 19 percent of the vote, is often cited as a major contributor to the defeat of incumbent President George H. W. Bush and the election of Bill Clinton, who won the popular vote by less than 6 million votes.

Still, the Republican Party has nearly a year to choose a candidate and present said contender as the most favorable candidate in a two-person match-up against President Obama. Although the polls indicate that there are no GOP candidates that can beat him at present (with the possible exception of Mitt Romney -- a possibility due to margin of error in polls), a year could make a big difference with an electorate that shows that it is at least willing to countenance replacing the man currently in the Oval Office.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111214/pl_ac/10675059_poll_voters_want_gop_president_just_none_of_the_republican_candidates

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Philly abortion doc charged with running pill mill (AP)

PHILADELPHIA ? A doctor charged with severing the spinal cords of babies born alive at his abortion clinic also wrote thousands of illegal prescriptions for painkillers and sedatives out of the now-closed business, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

The profitable pill mill brought in about $200,000 for Kermit Gosnell from June 2008 until authorities shuttered the west Philadelphia clinic more than 18 months later, according to an indictment.

There was no legitimate medical purpose for the prescriptions Gosnell wrote for highly addictive and often-abused pills like OxyContin, Percocet and Xanax or for cough syrups with codeine, prosecutors said.

His pain management business was so brisk, according to the indictment, that Gosnell added another phone line at the Women's Medical Society to handle all the calls for prescription refills.

Authorities said the doctor wrote hundreds of prescriptions a month, topping out at 2,300 prescriptions in January 2010, the month before federal drug and FBI agents raided the clinic.

During the raid, agents reported finding deplorable and unsanitary conditions, including fetal parts in jars. That led to a state investigation in which authorities accused Gosnell of routinely performing illegal late-term abortions and said some viable babies were killed by having their spinal cords severed with scissors.

Gosnell, 70, was charged with murder in the deaths of seven babies and one patient, but he has denied the allegations. His attorney, John J. McMahon Jr., said Wednesday he was unaware of the new charges, which include drug conspiracy and distribution.

Seven clinic staff members were also charged Wednesday with drug conspiracy or distribution offenses.

According to prosecutors, patients paid $115 to $150 for the prescriptions and received cursory, if any, examinations. They were allowed to purchase multiple prescriptions under different names, authorities said.

Gosnell and his staff dispensed some of the medicine over the 20 months covered by the indictment, including more than 900,000 pills and 19,000 ounces of cough syrup with codeine, authorities said.

Authorities closed the clinic after the raid and the state Board of Medicine suspended Gosnell's license.

A state grand jury report last January called the clinic a "baby charnel house" and led to Gosnell's arrest on murder charges. He has been jailed without bail since then.

Gosnell's wife, Pearl, pleaded guilty Tuesday to performing an abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy, two counts of conspiracy and participating in a corruption organization, according to court documents.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111214/ap_on_re_us/us_abortion_clinic_pills

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Full ban on driver calls could be tough to enforce

FILE - In a Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011 file photo, Dan Johnson uses a hands-free device to talk on a cellphone while driving, in San Diego. The National Transportation Safety Board declared Tuesday, Dec. 13, that texting, emailing or chatting while driving is simply too dangerous to be allowed anywhere in the United States. But if lawmakers follow the advice of the federal board, police officers could be faced with decoding whether someone is using their cell phone or simply singing along to the radio, pleading with backseat children to stop fighting or reciting an important sales pitch. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

FILE - In a Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011 file photo, Dan Johnson uses a hands-free device to talk on a cellphone while driving, in San Diego. The National Transportation Safety Board declared Tuesday, Dec. 13, that texting, emailing or chatting while driving is simply too dangerous to be allowed anywhere in the United States. But if lawmakers follow the advice of the federal board, police officers could be faced with decoding whether someone is using their cell phone or simply singing along to the radio, pleading with backseat children to stop fighting or reciting an important sales pitch. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

FILE - In a Tuesday, June 24, 2008 file photo, a sign warning drivers that hands-free technology will be required starting July 1, displays its message over a highway in San Francisco. While most states have banned texting among drivers and a number have also prohibited hand-held phones, the Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011 recommendation from the National Transportation Safety Board is to outlaw all behind-the-wheel cell phone use, wireless or not. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

A driver uses a cellphone while driving Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, in Los Angeles. The National Transportation Safety Board declared Tuesday that texting, emailing or chatting on a cellphone while driving is just too dangerous to be allowed anywhere in the United States and is urging all states to impose total bans except for emergencies. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A motorist uses a cellphone while holding the steering wheel and a cigarette in her other hand while passing through an intersection Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, in Houston. The National Transportation Safety Board declared Tuesday that texting, emailing or chatting on a cellphone while driving is just too dangerous to be allowed anywhere in the United States and is urging all states to impose total bans except for emergencies. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Dan Johnson uses a hands-free device to talk on a cellphone while driving Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2011, in San Diego. Johnson, an operations manager, uses his cellphone while driving frequently for business. The National Transportation Safety Board declared Tuesday that texting, emailing or chatting while driving is simply too dangerous to be allowed anywhere in the United States. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? A driver in the next lane is moving his lips. Is he on a hands-free cellphone? Talking to someone in the car? To himself? Singing along to the radio?

If lawmakers follow the advice of a federal board, police officers will have to start figuring that out ? somehow.

The National Transportation Safety Board said this week that drivers should not only be barred from using hand-held cellphones, as they are in several states, but also from using hands-free devices. No more "Sorry, I'm stuck in traffic" calls, or virtually any other cellphone chatter behind the wheel.

Though no state has yet implemented such restrictive rules, the NTSB's recommendations carry weight that could place such language into future laws, or motivate the federal government to cut funding to states that don't follow suit.

Many of the men and women patrolling the nation's streets and highways wonder how they would sort the criminally chatty from the legally chatty.

"It would be almost impossible to determine if someone was talking on a phone or exercising their vocal cords," said Capt. Donald Melanson of the West Hartford, Conn., police department, which took part in a national pilot program aimed at cracking down on drivers' cellphone use. "That would be much more difficult to enforce, almost to the point where it would be impossible."

Officer Tom Nichols of the Port St. Lucie, Fla., police said a law written like the NTSB suggests would be difficult to enforce because so many variables would be at play.

"If you identify someone who has a hands-free set hooked up to their ear that doesn't mean they are talking on the phone," he said. "They could be talking to a passenger. They could be talking to a child in the back. They could be singing."

Police could end up turning to technology for help. They might even end up with the cellphone equivalent of a radar speed gun.

Fred Mannering, a Purdue University civil engineering professor who is associate director of the Center for Road Safety, said that since all cellphones emit signals, a simple Bluetooth detection device could spot them.

Computers are already common in patrol cars, and Mannering said a relatively cheap add-on could fit them to track cellphone signals.

"It would be really easy for police to have a computer on board and pick up those signals," Mannering said, "but it is sort of Big Brother."

The NTSB's proposal, announced Tuesday as a unanimous recommendation of its five-member board, urges all states to impose total bans except for emergencies. It cited deadly crashes caused by distracted drivers across the country, and noted that many studies have shown that hands-free cellphones are often as unsafe as hand-held devices.

The recommendation poses an astounding number of questions. What about chauffeurs and traveling salesmen who spend their entire day on the road? And roadside Amber Alert and Silver Alert notifications that implore drivers to call in if they spot a specific vehicle? What comes of phone lines dedicated to those "How's My Driving?" signs on trucks? How will you let someone know you're stuck in traffic?

Joe Schwieterman, a DePaul University professor who studies people's use of technology while traveling, said he can't envision a law so restrictive ever hitting the books because phone use has become commonplace for drivers. He called such an approach "draconian" and said that if such a law were passed, the public would despise it as "imperial overreach," then ignore it.

"It's a little like speeding laws where it will become just culturally acceptable to violate," he said. He said a no-call law would be followed only if violations carried stiff penalties like those for drunken driving.

Lewis Katz, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University, said a nationwide ban on using cellphones while driving would be wildly unpopular, and likely the target of legal challenges. But he believed such a law, and the methods police might use to enforce it, ultimately would be deemed as constitutional as seatbelt enforcement.

"I'm sure that it would be challenged on all sorts of constitutional grounds, including free speech," he said in a phone call from his car. "But it seems to me that it doesn't in any way infringe on any constitutional rights. It's a simple safety issue."

Whether the NTSB's recommendations will motivate decision-makers remains to be seen, but they have certainly caught their attention.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has made combating distracted driving the signature issue of his tenure, stopped short of an endorsement. His department is separate from the NTSB.

"My focus is going to be on preaching to people: Take personal responsibility. Put your cellphone and your texting device in the glove compartment when you get behind the wheel of a car," LaHood told reporters at a news conference in Chicago. "You can't drive safely when you have your hand on a cellphone and are trying to drive a 4,000- 5,000 pound vehicle."

Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon, a Republican, said he was wary. His state is among those that have resisted passing laws restricting drivers' cellphone use.

Cannon said future technological advances may prove more effective than legislation at addressing driver distraction issues. As an example, he cited his new iPhone, which can make phone calls and send text messages via voice command.

"In these attempts to try and prevent every bad thing from happening," he said, "it's all too easy to overly restrict personal freedoms and individual rights and responsibilities."

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the top law enforcement official in Palm Beach County, Fla., said that if lawmakers take the NTSB's suggestions to heart, they should address all manner of distracted driving.

"I see women putting makeup on. I see a guy with an electric shaver. I see one woman with a newspaper. I see a guy with a dog in his hands. All of those are worse than texting," he said.

Monique Bond, a spokeswoman for the Illinois State Police, said training would be key to enforcing any ban. Officers are already looking for unbuckled seat belts and swerving drivers; they'd have to add to their mental checklists.

"It's something that is not insurmountable," Bond said. "How you're going to spot it, or how you're going to look for it ? you have to acclimate the troops and acclimate the operations as to how to do this."

Chief Walter McNeil of Quincy, Fla., president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, said enforcement of a total ban would be difficult, but that distracted driving needs to be addressed.

"We certainly need to deal with the overall problem with distracted drivers, and getting some level of uniformity in how we enforce that would be helpful," he said.

___

Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2011-12-15-Drivers-Cellphone%20Enforcement/id-410b6199cd5643749da70ee00b05b991

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WWE Raw SuperShow results: CM Punk sets the table for WWE TLC

TAMPA, Fla. ? Dubbing himself "Mr. Excitement," Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis sent John Cena, The Miz, Alberto Del Rio and United States Champion Dolph Ziggler into action to decide who would face WWE Champion CM Punk at WWE TLC in two weeks.

WWE Champion CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz signed a contract for their WWE TLC bout (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Now that the combatants for WWE TLC?s WWE Title Match were set, the Interim Raw General Manager upped the ante by making the bout a Triple Threat Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match. Although it is one of WWE?s most career-threatening bouts, all three Superstars eagerly signed the contract before attacking each other in an all-out brawl. As officials hit the ring to try to break up the melee, the WWE Universe cheered wildly, knowing they will see one hell of a match in two weeks.

Sheamus def. United States Champion Dolph Ziggler in a Title-free Match (WATCH | PHOTOS)
After rudely telling Jack Swagger to stay in the locker room during this bout, (WATCH) the United States Champion brought the fight to The Celtic Warrior for an opportunity to face WWE Champion CM Punk at WWE TLC. The cocky Superstar came close to victory, but he had it snatched from him by Zack Ryder, who injected himself into the match to remind Ziggler that they will be meeting for the United States Title soon.

Kevin Nash def. Santino Marella (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Following the announcement that Kevin Nash will face Triple H at WWE TLC in a Ladder Match with a sledgehammer hanging above the ring, (MATCH PREVIEW) the big man brought the dangerous weapon into the squared circle after he beat Santino. But instead of plastering The Milan Miracle with the foreign object, Nash scared his opponent and then walked away with the sledgehammer hoisted above his head like a prize.

Zack Ryder def. World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry in a Title-free Match (WATCH | PHOTOS)
After John Cena agreed to forfeit his WWE Championship opportunity at WWE TLC if Zack Ryder was given a second chance, John Laurinaitis scheduled this bout with obvious intentions to see Long Island Iced-Z crushed. But what seemed like an insurmountable obstacle for The ?Woo Woo Woo Kid? soon turned to triumph as the Cenation leader blasted Mark Henry with an Attitude Adjustment in this no count-out, no disqualification match to help Ryder score the win. The spray-tanned Superstar now has a future United States Title Match against Dolph Ziggler.

Vote for the Slammy Award for the ?2011 Superstar of the Year? (VOTE NOW)
The 2011 Slammy Awards will be handed out during next Monday?s special three-hour edition of WWE Raw SuperShow and the WWE Universe has an opportunity to chose the winner in one of the most important categories ? ?2011 Superstar of the Year.? Vote now and decide whether John Cena, CM Punk, Randy Orton, The Miz, Mark Henry or Alberto Del Rio had the best year. Then, watch Raw on Monday to see the winner, the debut of Brodus Clay and an explosive showdown between World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry and John Cena.

John Cena def. Zack Ryder (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Although they?re good friends outside of the ring, John Cena and Zack Ryder were forced to battle tonight as a part of a ?social experiment? concocted by John Laurinaitis. (WATCH) If Ryder won this bout, he would earn a future United States Title opportunity. If Cena was victorious, he would compete for the WWE Title at WWE TLC. With stakes high, both Superstars battled with everything they had, but it was the Cenation leader who grabbed the victory. Still, even with the win, the powerful competitor didn?t look happy as he exited.

Kelly Kelly & Eve def. Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya (WATCH | PHOTOS)
The ?pin-up strong? pair of Divas Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya have thrived by torturing Kelly Kelly & Eve, but the wicked duo couldn't push around the so-called "Barbie Dolls" tonight. Rolling up her powerful rival out of nowhere, Kelly scored a huge tag victory for her team and sent the arrogant Divas a message that a pretty face should never be underestimated.

Alberto Del Rio def. Daniel Bryan (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Still favoring his ribs following his hellish encounter with World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry on SmackDown, the gutsy Daniel Bryan bravely faced The Mexican Aristocrat, but was too vulnerable to combat the crossarm breaker. With this victory, Alberto Del Rio qualified for a WWE Championship opportunity at WWE TLC.

The Miz def. Randy Orton by Count-out (WATCH | PHOTOS)
The Awesome One will be competing for the WWE Title at WWE TLC and he has Wade Barrett to thank for it. In the middle of The Miz?s showdown with The Viper, the aggressive British Superstar entered the fray and distracted Orton on the outside of the ring, which led to WWE?s Apex Predator being counted out. When Orton turned his attention back to Miz, he was attacked from behind by the underhanded Barrett.

John Cena, U.S. Champion Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz argued over who deserves to face WWE Champion CM Punk (PHOTOS)
Everyone wants to hold the WWE Title, but which Superstar deserves to face WWE Champion CM Punk? That?s what Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis had to decide when he broke up the bickering of John Cena, United States Champion Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio and The Miz.

Proving that he?s not as dull as The Straight Edge Superstar says he is, the executive came up with this decision ? Miz, Ziggler and Del Rio would compete against SmackDown Superstars tonight and if they win, they will be entered in the WWE Championship Match at WWE TLC in two weeks. Cena, on the other hand, would undergo a ?social experiment? that the GM had dreamt up.

MATCHES

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2011-12-05/results

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Trump blasts Paul for smacking him in forum-skip (Politico)

Donald Trump apparently didn't take kindly to Ron Paul's decision to skip the NewsMax-hosted forum moderated by the developer and reality TV star, saying it created a circus-like atmosphere around the presidential race.

"As I said in the past and will reiterate again, Ron Paul has a zero chance of winning either the nomination or the presidency," Trump said in a statement in response to Paul, adding, "my poll numbers were substantially higher than any of his poll numbers, at any time."

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"Few people take Ron Paul seriously and many of his views and presentation make him a clown-like candidate," he said. "I am glad he and Jon Huntsman, who has inconsequential poll numbers or a chance of winning, will not be attending the debate and wasting the time of the viewers who are trying very hard to make a very important decision."

Trump referred to his book that's coming out and his claim he is worth more than $7 billion, and asked why he is "not the right person to lead this country out of economic chaos or at least to moderate a debate. I would like to see how Ron Paul would fair in the world of big business."

Paul was the first candidate competing in Iowa to reject the invitation for the Dec. 27 event. His move may give cover to other candidates to do the same - although Trump's comments are a reminder of the potential problem with skipping it.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories1211_69693_html/43794392/SIG=11m0bpcdm/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/69693.html

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Airport worker fired after refusing to load dog

RENO, Nevada?? Airport baggage handler Lynn Jones saw the sad look on the listless, emaciated dog sitting in a pet carrier and knew something was wrong. Then she saw that its body was covered with sores and its paws were worn raw.

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"It was so thin, it made me cry," she said.

If that dog gets on that plane, she remembered thinking, it would certainly die. And when she refused a supervisor's orders to load it onto the Texas-bound flight, she was fired.

Now, a month after the incident at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, the dog has recovered. And Jones, while her former employer and airport officials have praised her for her actions, remains without her old job.

Peggy Hohl, vice president of employee services for Jones' former employer, Airport Terminal Services Inc., based in St. Louis, said in an email that the company is taking the matter "very seriously."

A statement posted on the company's web site said officials were investigating, and that the company "commends this employee's situational awareness and her desire to raise the concern on behalf of the canine."

"ATS is reviewing the actions of all employees involved to determine if the appropriate action was taken," it said.

Jones, 56, is no stranger to animals. She once owned a dog grooming shop and lives about 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of Reno with three dogs, three cats and a bird ? all rescued from shelters over the years.

"I wanted to adopt this dog," she said.

When she was working in the cargo area several weeks ago, she saw the pet carrier and the dog.

When she told her supervisor about it, she said, he insisted she load the pointer bound for Corpus Christi, Texas, because its paperwork was in order and its condition was none of her concern.

"I kept telling my supervisor, 'That dog is going to die if it gets on that plane,'" Jones said.

"He didn't even really look at the dog," she said. "He just kept saying: 'The dog is going, the dog is going.' And I kept saying, 'It is not.' And we went back and forth, 'Yes it is, no it isn't, yes it is.'"

"I was hysterical and crying and yelling because the plane was going to leave and I was afraid the dog was going to be on it. I kept saying, 'Please, please, the dog is going to die,'" she said.

Airport police phoned the animal welfare agency, which took custody of the dog.

The dog, apparently owned by a hunter who has it shipped to places he hunts, was shipped back to Texas after being nursed back to health, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal, which first reported the incident on Monday.

"It just breaks my heart to think that dog has been sent back to that owner. It's disgusting. It makes me ill," she told The Associated Press. "I can't fathom why they would send it back to someone who obviously was abusing the dog."

Jones said that Monday was the first day her ex-employer had contacted her.

"They wanted to hear my side, finally," she said. "They said, 'I abandoned my job,' but I didn't. He told me to go home. I was a very good employee. I was there early every day. I would not have abandoned my job.'

Jones said she doesn't know if she would accept an offer to return to her job.

"I would have to really think about it," she said.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45555995/ns/travel-news/

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