The Obama campaign transferred $1.3 million to the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

Bloomberg reported on Friday night that the Obama campaign had transferred $14.4 million to Democratic parties in states where a defeat would jeopardize the incumbent president’s chances of being re-elected for a second term on Nov. 6. Bloomberg consulted filings that the Obama campaign had made with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

The biggest cash transfer, $3.1 million, was directed at the Ohio Democratic Party in the fist half of this month. The Obama campaign also wired $2.3 million to Colorado, $1.4 million to Iowa, $1.2 million to Nevada and $1 million to Virginia. The Florida Democratic Party received $2.1 million. The Sunshine State boasts a total of 29 electoral votes.

$895,000 was sent to North Carolina, a state where Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney currently benefits from a slight lead. The Obama campaign transferred $849,000 to Pennsylvania, where the incumbent president is struggling to retain the state’s 20 electoral votes. In addition,$597,000 and $458,000 was wired to Wisconsin and New Hampshire respectively.

Bloomberg also reports that the Obama campaign transferred $1.3 million to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), as it “lags the Republican National Committee [RNC] in available cash.”

Tehran claims that its nuclear program is peaceful and is being developed for domestic purposes.

The Obama administration denied on Saturday night that it had agreed to hold one-to-one talks with Iran over its nuclear program. However, the White House confirmed that it was willing to meet Iranian representatives in an attempt to find a diplomatic solution to the stand-off which has dragged on for the past 10 years or so.

The Obama administration’s denial comes in the wake of a report published by The New York Times on Saturday evening that claimed that both sides had agreed to meet, although Tehran apparently requested that the talks be held following the presidential contest next month in case Mr. Obama loses the election. This request echoes Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad‘s remarks during the United Nations General Assembly last month when he stated that there was no point in holding talks so close to a potentially game-changing election.

“Experience has shown that important and key decisions are not made in the U.S. leading up to the national elections,” Mr. Ahmadinejad recently said while in New York.

However, Iran also denied later that any agreement had been reached between Washington or Tehran, although it confirmed that Iran and several world powers were continuing to negotiate over the country’s controversial nuclear program.

“We don’t have any discussions or negotiations with America. The talks [over our nuclear program] are ongoing with the P5+1 group of nations. Other than that, we have no discussions with the United States,” the Iranian foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, told reporters on Sunday.

Tehran continues to claim that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and focused on domestic needs, such as electricity generation. While Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney made clear he opposes allowing Iran to enrich uranium altogether, Mr. Obama is reportedly prepared to let the Islamic republic enrich the chemical element up to a certain level, provided Tehran agrees to a closer and more intrusive scrutiny from UN inspectors.

Back in August, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran had installed three-quarters of the nuclear centrifuges it needs to produce nuclear fuel.

Mitt Romney insisted during a rally in North Carolina on Wednesday that the Benghazi attack should not be swept under the carpet.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney insisted on Thursday that the attack against the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, a month ago should indeed be a feature of the presidential campaign since the Obama administration had failed to recognize the seriousness of the events on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist strikes in the United States.

Mr. Romney was criticized by the Obama campaign for using the death of four diplomats that night for political purposes. Addressing supporters in North Carolina, the former Massachusetts governor quoted the comments Mr. Obama‘s deputy campaign manager, Stephanie Cutter, made during an interview with CNN.

“The entire reason that this has become the political topic it is, is because of Mitt Romney and [vice-presidential nominee] Paul Ryan,” she told the channel. The Republican nominee dismissed such accusations, stressing that the gravity of the attack, which resulted in the death of diplomatic personnel, could not be swept under the carpet.

“It’s an issue because this is the first time in 33 years that a United States ambassador has been assassinated. Mr. President, this is an issue because we were attacked successfully by terrorists on the anniversary of Sept. 11. President Obama, this is an issue because Americans wonder why it was it took so long for you and your administration to admit that this was a terrorist attack,” Mr. Romney stated.

Following the events, both Mr. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested the assault had occurred as a result of the release of the controversial film mocking Prophet Muhammad. In a statement on Sept. 11, Mrs. Clinton emphasized that there could be no justification for such violent demonstrations.

“Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet. The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind,” she pointed out.

Mr. Obama‘s spokesman, Jay Carney, acknowledged on Wednesday that, in retrospect, there was “no question that the security was not enough to prevent that tragedy from happening. There were four Americans killed.”

President Barack Obama never said that Mr. Romney's policies would lead to a $5 trillion loss of revenue. Photo: CNN.

CNN wrongly accused the Obama campaign on Thursday of lying about the fact that Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney would cut taxes by $5 trillion. Mr. Obama repeatedly stated that his opponent would not be able to offset such massive tax breaks by eliminating tax loopholes and tax deductions, and that the middle class would end up paying for such irresponsible policies.

“When you add up all the loopholes and deductions that upper income individuals are currently taking advantage of – if you take those all away – you don’t come close to paying for $5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in additional military spending. And that’s why independent studies looking at this said the only way to meet Governor Romney’s pledge of not adding to the deficit, is by burdening middle-class families,” Mr. Obama stated during the first presidential debate on Wednesday night.

The former Massachusetts governor rejected such accusations and insisted that, although he did intend to cut taxes to boost economic growth, he had no plan to slash taxes by such a large amount.

“Let me repeat what I said. I’m not in favor of a $5-trillion tax cut. That’s not my plan. My plan is not to put in place any tax cut that will add to the deficit. That’s point one. So you may keep referring to it as a $5 trillion tax cut, but that’s not my plan,” the Republican nominee pointed out.

CNN’s Erin Burnett pointed out to Mr. Obama‘s deputy campaign manager, Stephanie Cutter, on Thursday that the $5-trillion tax cut claim did not seem to add up.

“Stephanie, let me ask you about that. Because here, at CNN, we fact checked that, that $5 trillion in tax cuts. And we’ve come and said that that’s not true, Romney’s not promised that. Because he’s also going to be closing loopholes and deductions. So, his tax cuts wouldn’t be anywhere near that size,” Mr. Burnett said. Ms. Cutter is initially unsure about the question.

“So, you’re disputing the size of the tax cut? Or you’re disputing also how he’s going to pay for it?” she asks, before adding that “He does have a $5-trillion tax cut. He’s campaigned on lowering taxes by 20 percent on everybody, including those at the top one percent. That was one of the main selling points in the Republican primary.”

Ms. Burnett then tries to confirm the Democrats’ calculations that, if taxes are slashed by 20 percent, the resulting number is $5 trillion dollars. Yet, she adds, taking into account the closure of the loopholes, deductions, and exemptions that Mr. Romney talked about during the debate, the CNN analysis shows that the net loss of revenue is not going to be anywhere near the $5-trillion mark. Ms. Cutter sort of agrees.

“Well, stipulated, it won’t be near $5 trillion. But it’s also not going to be the sum of $5 trillion in the loopholes that he’s going to close,” she admits.

But Mr. Obama never stated that the net loss of revenue would amount to $5 trillion in the first place. He pointed out that the savings the former governor proposes would not offset the tax breaks. Can’t CNN grasp the difference?

Barack Obama told ABC's Joy Behar on Tuesday that the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was not due to mob action.

White House spokesman Jay Carney confirmed on Wednesday that President Barack Obama does believe that the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on Sept. 11 was indeed a terrorism act. The Republicans have criticized Mr. Obama for failing to use the ‘T’ word when referring to the events of two weeks ago.

“It is our view as an administration, the president’s view, that it was a terrorist attack,” Mr. Carney told reporters today.

In an ABC program aired on Tuesday, Mr. Obama was asked if, like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, he thought terrorists had attacked the Benghazi compound a fortnight ago and killed four diplomats, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, or whether their death was caused by a protest gone wrong.

“There’s no doubt that the kind of weapons that were used, the ongoing assault, that it wasn’t just a mob action,” Mr. Obama told the program’s host Joy Behar. However, the incumbent president failed to describe the attack as a terrorism act. The Romney campaign was prompt to point out that Mr. Obama was the only member of his administration to use a euphemism to describe the Benghazi assault.

“This is now the second time the White House press secretary has said something that President Obama has declined to admit. If the president thinks the tragic events in Libya were acts of terrorism, he should say so himself. Mitt Romney believes these tragic acts were terrorism and should be condemned as such,” a spokesman for Mr. Romney said.

Several House Republicans even wrote to Mr. Obama to urge him to tell the nation the truth about the sudden and violent death of the diplomats instead of misleading Americans.

“We are also disturbed by the public statements made by members of the Administration that would lead the American public to believe this attack was a protest gone wrong, rather than what it truly was – a terrorist attack on the United States on the anniversary of 9/11.” The lawmakers also asked the president to confirm what measures his administration had taken to prevent such a tragic event from occurring again against U.S. interests overseas or on domestic soil.

Mr. Carney also promised today that the Obama administration would continue to keep the public informed as and when information became available.

“We made clear that our initial assessment and interim reports were based on information that was available at the time. It continues to be the case that we provided information based on what we know – not based on speculation, but based on what we know – acknowledging that we are continuing an investigation that will undoubtedly uncover more facts, and as more facts and more details emerge we will, when appropriate, provide them to you,” the White House spokesman added.

The CBO now expects that 50% more Americans will have to pay the Affordable Care Act penalty.

A report published by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Wednesday estimates that around 6 million Americans would end up paying a penalty for not taking out health insurance, as required under President Barack Obama‘s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as ‘ObamaCare’. This figure is approximately 50 percent higher than originally predicted.

“Most of the increase—about 85 percent—in the number of people who are expected to pay the penalty tax stems from changes in CBO and JCT’s baseline projections since April 2010, including the effects of legislation enacted since that time, changes in the economic outlook (primarily a higher unemployment rate and lower wages and salaries),” the CBO explains on its website. The remaining 15 percent are likely to face a penalty because some of the states “will not expand their Medicaid programs at all or will not expand coverage to the full extent authorized” by the Affordable Care Act as a result of the Supreme Court‘s ruling, the CBO also notes.

Those who will not be required to pay the penalty in spite of not having health insurance coverage include illegal immigrants, who do not qualify for Medicaid or other subsidies in the first place, individuals who do not file a tax return because their earnings are too low, members of Indian tribes, as well as those who would see their premiums exceed eight percent (8%) of their earnings were they to take out health insurance coverage. Another 10 million individuals are expected to be exempt from the penalty because of their religious beliefs or because of hardship.

The CBO estimates that those subject to the penalty will pay a total of $7 billion in 2016 – those required to pay the penalty will have to fork out $695 or pay 2.5 percent of their income, whichever is greater – and $8 billion thereafter. This represents around $3 billion more per year than originally expected.

“This report confirms that more than 98 percent of Americans won’t be affected by this penalty. Under the law, we’re no longer going to subsidize the care of those who can afford insurance but make a choice not to buy it,” a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services said.

However, the House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) said that the CBO report was a clear indication that President Obama‘s signature law needed to be scrapped.

“The bad news and broken promises for ObamaCare just keep piling up. This is yet another example of why we need to repeal this law,” he said.

Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to individuals suffering from a pre-existing condition.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he was right all along to be concerned about the European missile shield system.

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney for portraying Russia as the United States “number-one geopolitical foe” earlier on this year. Mr. Romney made his comment at the end of March after President Obama was overheard telling then-Russian President Dmitri Medvedev that he would have more flexibility over the European missile defence system after the November presidential election.

Russia expressed concerns that the so-called ballistic missile defense capability could represent a threat to its citizens, although the shield is officially aimed at intercepting missiles from anti-American countries, such as Iran. One of Russia’s senior generals even threatened to carry out pre-emptive strikes against the installation earlier on this year, while the Kremlin warned Mr. Obama that it would aim missiles at the United States if it could not obtain a number of guarantees from the Obama administration.

The Russian president pointed out that Mr. Romney‘s remark proved that Russia was right all along when it expressed reservations about the European shield.

“I’m grateful to him for formulating his stance so clearly, because he has once again proven the correctness of our approach to missile defense problems. The most important thing for us is that, even if he doesn’t win now, he or a person with similar views may come to power in four years. We must take that into consideration while dealing with security issues for a long perspective,” Mr. Putin stated.

President Obama himself criticized the former Massachusetts governor and his running mate, Wisconsin representative Paul Ryan, for their stance towards Russia in his acceptance speech last week.

“[…] you don’t call Russia our number-one enemy, and not al-Qaeda, unless you’re still stuck in a Cold War time warp,” he remarked on the last day of the Democratic National Convention.

The national debt has topped $16 trillion for the very first time in U.S. history.
Source: usdebtclock.org

The Republicans seized on the Treasury Department‘s announcement on Tuesday that the national debt had reached the $16 trillion mark to launch a new wave of attacks against President Obama, as the Democratic National Convention gets under way in Charlotte, North Carolina.

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio described the news as “another sad reminder of President Obama‘s broken promise to cut the deficit in half.” Indeed, back in March 2009, Mr. Obama promised to slash the deficit in half during a press conference.

“Both under our estimates and under the CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates, both the most conservative estimates out there, we drive down the deficit over the first five years of our budget. The deficit is cut in half. And folks aren’t disputing that,” Mr. Obama stated at the time. Incidentally, the national debt stood at just over $10.5 trillion when he entered the White House.

Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), was equally critical of Mr. Obama‘s record. He also suggested that, should the president be allowed to serve a second term, the nation could expect another four years of “inaction.”

“The past four years Barack Obama hasn’t offered any serious solutions to get our spending under control and, instead, he has run four straight years of trillion dollar deficits,” he noted.

Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama compared the domestic situation with that of Europe and said that Mr. Obama did not appear to be worried by his legacy.

“This is a grim landmark for the United States. The gross debt of our federal government will, for the first time, surpass $16 trillion. That’s more government debt per person than Portugal, Italy, Spain, or Greece,” he said, before adding that, “Yet, the President seems strangely unconcerned.”

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney‘s running mate, Paul Ryan, chose to mock the comment Mr. Obama made on Labor Day when he described his achievements to date as “incomplete.”

“I think the ‘incomplete’ speaks for itself, and that is why I think we are going to win this and get this country on the right track because we’re offering solutions,” he confidently stated.

Responding to the Republican attacks, Obama for America campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt was keen to remind the incumbent president’s opponents of their role in taking the country on the wrong path.

“Congressman Ryan voted for the major drivers of the deficit during the Bush administration: those tax cuts for the wealthiest, the Medicare prescription plan that wasn’t funded, and two unfunded wars,” he stressed. He also pointed out that the Republicans had inadvertently admitted that they were to blame for the national debt.

“The debt clock at the Republican convention was appropriately placed next to a sign that said ‘We Built This,’ he told reporters.

Ann Romney promised Americans that her husband would work hard for the nation.
Photo: Business Insider.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney‘s wife, Ann, gave the speech of her life when she addressed the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday. She recalled how she met the man of her life and got married 43 years ago. But, above all, she emphasized that life was never always rainbows and roses, as many have suggested.

“We got married and moved into a basement apartment. [We] ate a lot of pasta and tuna fish, […] our dining room table was a fold-down ironing board in the kitchen,” although she recalled with fondness that “those were the best days.”

She also stressed that Mr. Romney, just like his father, had to work hard to get where he eventually got to. She reminded her audience that George Romney started life as a carpenter before becoming the chairman and president of American Motors Corporation in 1954 and the 43rd governor of Michigan in 1963.

“Mitt would be the first to tell you that he is the most fortunate man in the world. He had two loving parents who gave him strong values and taught him the value of work. He had the chance to get the education his father never had. But, as his partner on this amazing journey, I can tell you Mitt Romney was not handed success,” she stressed, before adding, “He built it,” probably as a reference to President Barack Obama‘s recent and controversial “You didn’t build that” remark.

Mr. Romney’s wife also said she was stunned to hear a constant sway of people criticize her husband’s success, although she pointed out that the current economic climate was undoubtedly a contributory factor to the barrage of criticism the former governor has to face every day.

“It’s true that Mitt‘s been successful at each new challenge he has taken on. You know what, it actually amazes me to see his history of success being attacked. Are those really the values that made our country great? […] As a mom of five boys, do we want to raise our children to be afraid of success? […] Do we send our children out in the world with the advice try to do OK? […] And let’s be honest. If the last four years had been more successful, do we really think there would be this attack on Mitt Romney‘s success? Of course not,” she said. And just in case these details were not sufficient for those critics to comprehend how her husband had succeeded in life, Mrs. Romney went right back to the time when private-equity group Bain Capital was barely a twinkle in the minds of its creators.

“I was there when he had a small group of friends talking about starting a new company. I was there when they struggled and wondered if the whole idea was just not going to work. Mitt‘s reaction was to work harder and press on. Today, the company has become another great American success story. Has it made those who started the company successful, made them successful beyond their dreams? Yes, it has,” she admitted.

Mrs. Romney ended her speech by reassuring Americans that her husband would not let them down.

“This is a man who will wake up every day with the determination to solve the problems that others say cannot be solved, to fix what others say is beyond repair. This is the man who will work harder than anyone so that we can work a little less hard. I can’t tell you what will happen over the next four years. But I can only stand here tonight as a wife and a mother and a grandmother, an American, and make you this solemn commitment. This man will not fail,” she promised.