Obama Campaign Tries To Hold “Catholics For Obama” Rally In Colorado . . . Only 45 People Show Up…

Denver, Colo., Nov 1, 2012 / 04:03 am (CNA).- The Obama campaign attempted to schedule a rally-like event on a Catholic university campus in the key swing state of Colorado before settling on a dialogue with a co-chair of Catholics for Obama.

“Their original intent was to have more of a rally element to it,” said Paul Alexander, director of Regis University's Institute for the Common Good, which hosted the event.

“We just felt we couldn’t do a rally, but we felt a healthy dialogue among Catholics was important.”

About 45 people attended the Oct. 25 dialogue and small group discussion with Catholics for Obama national co-chair Nicholas P. Cafardi, a law professor and dean emeritus of Duquesne University School of Law.

The event was titled “Catholic Social Teaching: The Intersection of Faith and Politics.” Although it was hosted by the Jesuit university’s institute, it took place because of outreach from the Obama campaign.

Alexander told CNA Oct 26 that another Catholics for Obama national co-chair by the name of Victoria Kovari, the “main point of contact,” had sought out the university and asked if it would be willing to host an event.

Kovari is a former national field director and former interim president of the Democrat-leaning group Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.

She attended the Denver event along with Broderick Johnson, a senior advisor to the Obama campaign.

At the Thursday evening gathering, Alexander said that the campaign had reached out to schedule the event, but had set no conditions on the talk.

“There was a strict adherence to bring a message that is totally non-political,” he said.

Via: Catholic News Agency

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BIG MO: RYAN TO MINNESOTA SUNDAY

This morning, the Romney campaign announced that Paul Ryan would go to Minnesota on Sunday for a pre-election campaign rally. Its a clear sign that the Romney campaign thinks Minnesota is winnable.  Where campaigns spend their time in the closing days of a race says much more about their view of the election than words repeated by campaign flacks. Candidates' time is a campaign's most precious resource, and it is deployed only if it's needed or can have an impact. 

You don't waste a candidate's time on a bluff in the final 48 hours. 

Last night, the campaign announced that Mitt Romney would go to Philadelphia on Sunday for a campaign rally. It is telling that both Romney and Ryan are spending some of the campaign's final hours in a bid for states that haven't voted GOP for president in decades. 

The Obama campaign has dismissed this as a sign the Romney campaign is "flailing." Yet, they have matched the GOP ads buys in the state and have dispatched Biden and Clinton to Pennsylvania and Minnesota. They have to be at least somewhat concerned that Romney could steal these states from them if they don't respond. That's a tell. So to that end, Obama will spend this weekend doing at least five events in Wisconsin and Iowa, two states he won by double-digits in 2008. 

Remember, in the closing days of the 2008, Obama devoted lots of time to states that had traditionally voted Republican. That wasn't a campaign "flailing", but rather one riding a wave of momentum and deep dissatisfaction with the Bush Administration. 

We'll know Tuesday if Romney will be able to repeat history.

Via Breitbart

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If Economy Is Recovering Why Is Obama Increasing Welfare Spending?

Rising welfare spending has served as a metric for the weakness of the economy, but a new report suggests that will change in the coming years, as Obamacare increases welfare spending even after the economy bounces back.

“As projected by the Congressional Research Service, spending on welfare will continue to rise over the next decade, even as the economy is expected to recover,” the Senate Budget Committee Republicans announced today.

This year, welfare spending was approximately $1 trillion. By 2016, that number will rise by $321 billion, according to figures released by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

“Altogether, the President’s health law would add a new means-tested federal benefit to 30 million more Americans (many of whom do not currently receive means-tested assistance),” Sessions’ office explained. “In total, fully one-third—approximately 105 million—of all non-elderly Americans will receive their health care through the government once the law takes full effect. That figure will be even higher if the economy continues to experience weak growth.”

Mitt Romney has promised to repeal Obamacare if elected. If President Obama wins a second term, he could veto any repeal of the law unless two-thirds of the House and Senate voted to override his veto.

Via: Washington Examiner

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Harry Reid: Senate Dems Working With Romney Is ‘Laughable’, A ‘Fantasy'

His mouth is the only this that working..

Five days before the election, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has ruled out trying to work with Mitt Romney should he win next week.

"Mitt Romney's fantasy that Senate Democrats will work with him to pass his 'severely conservative' agenda is laughable," Mr. Reid said in a statement on Friday, trying to puncture Mr. Romney's closing election argument that he'll be able to deliver on the bipartisanship President Obama promised in 2008 but has struggled to live up to.

Mr. Reid, a Nevada Democrat and a Mormon, like Mr. Romney, has become the Republican presidential nominee's chief critic this campaign, at one point accusing him of failing to pay taxes — a charge that Mr. Romney has refuted.

With Democrats appearing poised to keep control of the Senate, a President Romney would have to be prepared to work with Mr. Reid, who would set the upper chamber's schedule and determine what bills make it to the floor.

Mr. Reid flatly ruled out following Mr. Romney's agenda, saying he and his colleagues have already voted down many of those proposals, including House Republicans' budget, written by Republican vice presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan.

"Mitt Romney has demonstrated that he lacks the courage to stand up to the tea party, kowtowing to their demands time and again. There is nothing in Mitt Romney's record to suggest he would act any differently as president," Mr. Reid said.

Republicans retorted that Mr. Reid appeared to be preparing himself for a Romney win, and prodded the Democrat, pointing to all the things Mr. Reid wasn't able to get done even when he did have a fellow Democrat as president and Democrats in control of the House.

"While Senator Reid might want to continue Washington politics as usual, I'm confident that there are many Democrats who value balancing the budget, reducing burdensome regulations, investing in U.S. energy resources and will be willing to work with Governor Romney to help grow our stagnant economy," said Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.

Via: Washington Times
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Goon Squad: AFL-CIO Chief Trumka Promises More Than 2,000 Union “Poll Monitors” In Battleground States…

(CNSNews.com) - Setting the scene for possible post-election legal challenges, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said his unions plan to deploy 2,000 “poll monitors” who will be linked with lawyers around the country as a way to prevent
"voter suppression" in states such as Ohio.

During a media conference call on Thursday, Trumka recalled being at an early voting site in Las Vegas where he saw “challengers inside.”

“We’re going to have over 2,000 people that are going to be available as poll monitors that’ll be connected to a number of lawyers around the country. So that if they [the opposition] attempt to deny them the right to vote, or hassle them we’ll be able to have a rapid response team that will respond immediately to that and protect them,” Trumka said.

“That will be up in the core states like Ohio, where we think there could be problems and so we’ll challenge those everywhere we can and protect the votes,” he said.

Via: CNS News

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THOUSANDS OVERFLOW ROMNEY SPEECH IN WISCONSIN

Thousands gathered to hear Mitt Romney deliver his "closing argument" in the suddenly-swing-state of Wisconsin--and two thousand more listened outside in 40-degree weather, according to Breitbart News correspondent Rebel Pundit, who is covering both campaigns as they compete for the state's ten electoral votes.

The photo above was taken at 10:26 a.m. this morning. The upper Midwest has become part of the Romney campaign's expanding electoral map, as Paul Ryan travels to address a rally in Minnesota on Sunday and Romney heads to Pennsylvania on Sunday as well. The Obama campaign is attempting to defend these formerly "safe" states by advertising and holding events in both. The turnout, however, seems to favor the challengers.

Via: Breitbart

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STATEN ISLAND RESIDENT CONFRONTS CHUCK SCHUMER; 'WE ARE GONNA DIE!'

    

 

 Email

Schumer:  “I know what you’re going through, sweetheart.”

NY Daily News:  Staten Island has been the scene of some of the most heartbreaking storm-related devastation, especially on the South Shore where numerous trapped residents had to be rescued. Hundreds of homes — from multimillion-dollar mansions to modest bungalows — have been damaged and dozens of streets are impassable due to downed trees and buckled roads.

As such, federal and local officials heard an earful from residents Thursday.

“Please don’t leave us,” a weeping Donna Solli pleaded to Sen. Chuck Schumer in front of her damaged Neptune St. home. “I live alone down here.”Via: BreitbartContinue Reading...

Sandy's Lesson

Here's the big lesson from mega storm Sandy. Mother Nature sneers at high tech, mocks modern convenience and couldn't care less about what kind of person you are - she will smack you if she wants.

Many of us have forgotten about nature as we have become addicted to machines. We must have gizmos. Sandy laughed and took them away. Power, gone. Internet, dark. Cell phones, not happening. Even your landline phone - not available because "all circuits are busy."

Suddenly, it was 1850 with one exception: battery operated flashlights and radios.

So what is the lesson here? 

Well, actually there are a few. First, that no government agency can help you when disaster strikes. Any assistance will be after the fact and painstakingly slow. 

Second, that in order to ride out any storm effectively, you should be self-reliant and resilient. That means you have to anticipate problems and have some solutions at the ready. 

For example, where I live on Long Island, the power infrastructure is a disaster and has been for years. The power company, LIPA, simply cannot keep the juice flowing under any duress. I have accepted that, so I bought a generator. However, during Sandy, the generator did not work. You can imagine how many four-letter words were uttered. But, I had a Plan B. I know some guys who can repair generators, and they fixed mine very quickly. I have a long-term relationship with these guys and will reward them. 

So, I rode out the storm pretty well, and that's good because there are children in my home. 

Never one time did I think the local, state or federal government was going to help me in any way. When President Obama speaks about government being there for you, I roll my eyes. In the history of mankind, no government has ever been there for the individual. Ever. 

Via: Bill O"Reilly

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Last jobs report before election shows economy in 'virtual standstill'

The final monthly jobs report before Election Day offered a mixed bag of economic evidence that quickly became political putty for the presidential candidates, with the unemployment rate ticking up to 7.9 percent but the economy adding a better-than-expected 171,000 jobs. 

At the same time, the number of unemployed grew by 170,000, roughly the same amount -- to 12.3 million. 

The October numbers allow President Obama to argue the economy is technically growing under his watch. But they also allow Mitt Romney to argue that the new jobs are not making much of a dent in the unemployment problem. Both campaigns quickly set to work putting their spin on data that, if nothing else, underscores the slow pace of the recovery. 

"That's 9 million jobs short of what (Obama) promised," Romney said at a rally in Wisconsin shortly before noon. "Unemployment is higher today than when Barack Obama took office." 

The rate was 7.8 percent the month Obama took office. "Today's increase in the unemployment rate is a sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill," Romney said in a separate written statement. "When I'm president, I'm going to make real changes that lead to a real recovery, so that the next four years are better than the last." 

Former Bureau of Labor Statistics chief Keith Hall told Fox Business Network that at this rate, "we're still talking nine or 10 years" before the economy gets back to normal. 

But Obama, speaking in Hilliard, Ohio, pointed to the report as another sign the economy is moving in the right direction, despite the challenges remaining. 

Via: Fox News

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Shift in proportion of white, minority vote could decide Obama-Romney race

The ethnic mix of this year’s electorate could decide the winner of the race between President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

It’s a reality that gives both campaigns sleepless nights, since a shift of a percentage point or two in the turnout of any major racial group could swing the outcome on Nov. 6.

For Obama, the question is whether he can limit his losses among white voters — and whether minority turnout will remain strong enough for him to emerge victorious.

Romney’s challenge is to hold down his deficit among Hispanic voters, hope that black turnout does not match or even exceed 2008 levels, and pull out all the stops to push white turnout high enough to win.

According to exit polls from 2008, Obama lost the white vote to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by 12 percentage points (43 to 55 percent). But Obama won black voters overwhelmingly (95 to 4 percent) and Hispanic voters by more than a two-to-one margin (67 to 31 percent).

The downward pressure on Obama’s poll numbers among whites is clear. But polls, even from the same organization, disagree about its extent.

A Washington Post/ABC News tracking poll from Oct. 25 put Obama’s shortfall among whites at 23 percentage points (37 to 60 percent), a finding that sparked confidence from Republicans and inspired dread among Democrats.

The most recent iteration of the same tracking poll, however, found the margin to be 5 percentage points tighter, with Romney leading, 57 to 39 percent.

Given that whites represent about three-quarters of all voters, that 5-point shift would equate to a 3.75-point change in the overall national result — more than enough to produce a completely different winner.

Via: The Hill

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It Begins: ADP Cuts September Job Creation Numbers By Almost 50%…

Revisions to the way payroll data firm ADP counts private sector job creation have resulted in a sharp drop in the September employment count.

ADP's new calculations put the monthly job creation at just 88,200, down from the 162,000 the firm originally reported earlier this month.

The firm recently has entered into a partnership with Moody's Analytics that will change the way the private payroll count is calculated.

The new private payroll count now is actually under Labor's September job creation household survey net total of 114,000, 104,000 of which came from the private sector.

The unemployment rate dropped last month to 7.8 percent. Separately, as the government's establishment survey said the total number of new private-sector workers swelled by 873,000. (Read More: Consumer Prices Rise on Energy Surge; No Pay Gains)

Economists expect Friday's report to show 125,000 new jobs and the jobless rate to hold steady.

When the Labor Department revealed its September job count, it sparked criticism from some quarters that the numbers were being manipulated for political purposes as the November presidential election drew near.

The soft ADP count could add credence to those who believe the pace of job creation is slower than the government's numbers indicate.

"It's huge, no doubt about it," said Todd Schoenberger, managing principal at the BlackBay Group in New York. "Their changing the methodology tells me that if the number is cut in half with that revision, then the revision we're going to see Friday is going to be a disaster."

Moody's economist Mark Zandi did not return a request for comment.

Via: CNBC

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Looming Tax Hike Motivates Owners to Sell

A looming increase in the capital-gains tax rate next year is fueling sales of some privately-held businesses.

Many business owners—mostly founders who could gain a lot from a sale—are looking to close deals before next year, when the maximum tax on investment income is scheduled to rise from 15% currently to at least 23.8% on most capital gains, at least for higher-income households. Many sellers intend to convert their equity into retirement funds or just start anew.

Eddie Seal for The Wall Street Journal

Bert Wolf of Acetylene Oxygen in Harlingen, Texas, says he plans to sell his compressed-gas business before 2013. Many business owners are looking to close deals by year's end.

"It just made more sense for me to take my chips off the table and go do something else," said Bert Wolf, 60 years old, who has an agreement to sell his compressed-gas business, Acetylene Oxygen Co. of Harlingen, Tex., before year-end.

Mr. Wolf added that if he waited until after the tax increase to sell, he would have to expand the business at the current rate "for at least 3 or 4 more years to achieve the same after-tax sales dollar." He is profiting on the sale of his business to Praxair Inc., PX +2.15% a public company.

"There's a kind of a panic on to get things done," said Beatrice Mitchell, co-founder of Sperry, Mitchell & Co. Inc., a New York investment bank that is advising Mr. Wolf on the sale.

To be sure, the weak economy has been difficult for many small-business owners across the board. The median selling price for U.S. small businesses in the quarter ended Sept. 30 was $174,000 down 8.2% from four years earlier, according to BizBuySell.com, an online small-business marketplace. The firm's findings are based on sales, reported voluntarily by business brokers and mostly of less than $1 million, in 70 major markets.

In the three quarters so far this year, 3,536 small businesses exchanged hands, down 34% from the first three quarters of 2008, when sales of small businesses were at a record high, it found.

Via: WSJ

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LIVE UPDATES - NY/NJ GAS SHORTAGES: MILE-LONG LINES, RATIONING, FIGHTS, POLICE DRAW GUNS

On Twitter, there are widespread reports about fistfights and people bringing guns to gas stations, thanks to gas shortages in New York and New Jersey. Some on Twitter are also reporting that law enforcement has been stationed around many gas stations to prevent incidents:

Via: Breitbart

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Republican National Committee alleges voting machine troubles in Nevada, other swing states

Secretary of State Ross Miller called claims of voter machine irregularities in Nevada by the Republican National Committee “irresponsible and unfortunate” on Thursday.

Miller, a Democrat, was responding to a letter sent to his office and election officials in five other states on Thursday in which the RNC alleged voting machines cast ballots for President Barack Obama, a Democrat, when the vote was intended for his Republican challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

The RNC did not provide documented proof of its allegation aside from media anecdotes.

In Washoe County, a man reported a problem with a voting machine in which he tried to vote for Obama but the machine kept registering a vote for Romney. The machine was recalibrated by election officials.

Miller responded in a letter sent to the RNC on Thursday that said unsubstantiated allegations of voting machine problems based on rumor, media reports and hearsay, “undermine the public’s confidence in the electoral process.”

The RNC letter expressed concerns that the voting machine problems were the result of “miscalibration and hyper-sensitivity of the machines.” Letters were sent to officials in Ohio, North Carolina, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri.

The RNC asked officials to recalibrate voting machines on Election Day and instruct poll workers to remind voters to double-check their votes.

Eric Herzik, the chairman of the political science department at the University of Nevada, Reno, said the RNC needs to “put up or shut up.”

Via: RGJ.com

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Crowd Chants 'Hail Obama'

Nov 1, 2012

By Todd Starnes

Hundreds of people at a Florida campaign rally in featuring First Lady Michelle Obama began chanting “Hail Obama”, according to a television reporter who was covering the event.

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“Crowd for #FLOTUS event in Daytona now chanting “Hail Obama,” tweeted WOFL Fox 35 reporter Mike Synan. “Wow, just wow.”

The rally was held at Daytona Beach’s Ocean Center. More than 5,000 people showed up — the crowd described as restless and boisterous.

Synan said the chanting came during a warm up session before the First Lady appeared on stage.

He repeated the claim in a follow-up message on Twitter, “True. Would not lie. Chanting “Hail Obama.”

Synan later said someone in the crowd would yell “Hail Obama” and then “hundreds that could hear that person would repeat.”

Via: Fox News

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CBS News: Obama Never Convened Counterterrorism Task Force During Benghazi Terror Attack…

CBS News has learned that during the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Mission in Benghazi, the Obama Administration did not convene its top interagency counterterrorism resource: the Counterterrorism Security Group, (CSG).

"The CSG is the one group that's supposed to know what resources every agency has. They know of multiple options and have the ability to coordinate counterterrorism assets across all the agencies," a high-ranking government official told CBS News. "They were not allowed to do their job. They were not called upon."

Information shared with CBS News from top counterterrorism sources in the government and military reveal keen frustration over the U.S. response on Sept. 11, the night ambassador Chris Stevens and 3 other Americans were killed in a coordinated attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya.

The circumstances of the attack, including the intelligence and security situation there, will be the subject of a Senate Intelligence Committee closed hearing on Nov. 15, with additional hearings to follow.

Counterterrorism sources and internal emails reviewed by CBS News express frustration that key responders were ready to deploy, but were not called upon to help in the attack.

CBS News has agreed not to quote directly from the emails, and to protect the identities of the sources who hold sensitive counterterrorism posts within the State Department, the US military and the Justice Department.

As to why the Counterterrorism Security Group was not convened, National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor told CBS News "From the moment the President was briefed on the Benghazi attack, the response effort was handled by the most senior national security officials in governments. Members of the CSG were of course involved in these meetings and discussions to support their bosses."

WAVE: ROMNEY UP 19 WITH SUBURBAN VOTERS

The 2012 Presidential campaign will be decided in the tree-lined cul-de-sacs that dominate the American landscape. Rural voters are reliably Republican and urban voters are reliably Democrat. But, suburban voters are the swingy-est of voters. In many states, they decide the outcome of competitive races. Stuffed with Independents, suburban voters started drifting towards Democrats during the baby boomer campaign of Bill Clinton. Today, however, there are signs they are rushing back to the GOP.

The latest Politico battleground poll, released earlier this week, shows Romney with a massive 19-point lead over Obama among suburban voters. Surprisingly, it's actually one point higher than his lead among rural voters. Obama leads among urban voters by 29 points. In 2008, Obama won the suburban vote by 2 points. The 21-point swing away from him makes his reelection very difficult. 

Obama's approval rating among suburban voters is deeply underwater. Just 42% approve of the job he is doing, against 57% who disapprove. A staggering 52% disapprove strongly. Romney has a net 23 approval rating among suburban voters, 59% approving with 36% disapproving. 

Over the past 30 years, no one has won the presidency without winning the suburban vote. Bill Clinton's successful campaigns were built on getting strong support from suburban voters. To some extent, Obama inherited much of the goodwill Clinton earned with this important voting block. Yet, in just four years, Obama seems to have squandered that. 

As the suburbs go, so goes the nation. Today, at least, the suburbs are going with Romney.

Via: Breitbart

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First Responders to Monster Storm Sandy Are the Real Heroes

AP

 At a concert in upstate New York, Bruce Springsteen offered up his thanks to the police officers, firefighters and government officials for their relief efforts during Superstorm Sandy.

Springsteen made the comments Wednesday night at the Rochester Blue Cross Arena as he dedicated "My City of Ruins" to his hometown of Asbury Park, N.J.

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President Obama and N.J. Gov. Chris Christie Praise First Responder

Via: Fox News

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Pennsylvania: Republicans Trouncing Dems In Absentee Ballots By 19 Points…

This morning President Obama’s campaign indicated they are going on the air in Pennsylvania and sending Joe Biden to the state trying to protect a state that just one week ago was considered to be safe ground.  One possible reason? The enormous GOP edge in absentee ballot returns in the state, creating an enormous and unexpected hole for the President’s campaign to dig out of. 

In 2008 the GOP edged the Democrats by just 2% in absentee returns. As of today the GOP’s lead is 18.8% — a 16.9% bump in a state Obama won by 10% in 2008. Republicans have turned in 55.2% of the absentee ballots to date while the Democrats have returned just 36.4%.

The Romney Victory team has been on the ground in Pennsylvania for months with over 60 staff and dozens of offices. We have made over 5 million volunteer voter contacts including over 1 million volunteer door knocks across Pennsylvania. That voter contact is paying off in the absentee ballot returns and clearly the President’s campaign sees it in their numbers. That’s why they are playing defense in the Keystone state as Governor Romney’s momentum allows us to expand the map.

PENNSYLVANIA AB RETURNS
Party	2008 AB Votes Cast		2012 AB Votes Cast		Change
DEM	132,170	44.70%	42,013	36.42%	-8.28%
REP	137,850	46.62%	63,717	55.24%	+8.62%
TOTAL	295,659	+1.92%	115,346	+18.82%	+16.90%

 Via: GOP.com

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Obama Declares “Al-Qaeda Has Been Decimated”…

Even as new information continues to surface revealing that the Obama White House may be embroiled in a cover-up scandal regarding the terror attack in Benghazi that left four Americans dead, the president took to the campaign trail in Wisconsin Thursday morning and actually declared that “al Qaeda has been decimated.” Recall that the carnage in Libya was, according to experts, waged by al Qaeda or pro-al Qaeda affiliates like the militant group Ansar al Sharia, which even claimed credit for the attack.

The president made the ire-inducing remark during a campaign stop at Austin Straubel International Airport Thursday morning where he spoke to a crowd of some 2,600 people. Obama, wearing a flight-jacket, addressed Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, then touched on the economy but  highlighted what he framed as his accomplishments in foreign policy, including smiting Osama bin Laden and yes, “decimating al Qaeda.”

“The war in Afghanistan is winding down,” the president said. “al Qaeda has been decimated. Osama bin Laden is dead. So we made real progress these last four years, but Wisconsin, we know our work’s not done yet.”

Obama’s statement, for many conservatives, is the ultimate in hubris and they took to Twitter to convey as much. Consider the following tweets, courtesy of Twitchy:

Via: The Blaze

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