Santorum & Gingrich Enter "Etch-a-Sketch" Political Fray; Both Are Trailing Romney

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Rick Santorum & Newt Gingrich have now joined the "Etch-a-Sketch" Political Fray after Romney's Adviser mentioned it this Morning.
Both Santorum & Gingrich are losing Badly to Romney.






Etch A Sketch takes center stage in GOP fight


Rick Santorum has found an unlikely new rallying point: The Etch A Sketch.

Santorum's campaign has aggressively seized on a comment Wednesday morning by Romney Communications Director Eric Fehrnstrom, who was asked on CNN if he was concerned that the primary challenge from Santorum and Newt Gingrich "might force the governor to tack so far to the right" that Romney will alienate moderates who would otherwise vote for him if and when he reaches the general election.

"Well, I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign," Fehrnstrom responded. "Everything changes. It's almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all over again."

The comment reflected a political reality: Presidential candidates from both parties traditionally tend to play to their base in the primary before tacking toward the center in a general election in order to win moderates. But it also played directly into the Santorum campaign's argument that conservatives can't trust Romney to stand up for their beliefs in the general election.

In the middle of a campaign event in Louisiana Wednesday, Santorum, grasping an Etch A Sketch, said he was launching "what I'll call my Etch A Sketch tour of America." It was not the first time Santorum brought up Fehrnstrom's comment Wednesday.

"Imagine, had Mitt Romney been around at the time we were drafting our Constitution," he said. "He would just shake it and just shook it up after it was approved to rewrite it. We're talking about big things here folks, this isn't a joke or a game. We're talking about important things in our society. Freedom is not something that you go out and give nice lofty highbrow speeches about and then turn around the next day and say no, when we have to go out and work in a general election, I'll go back to my government control approach."

Added Santorum: "The people of Louisiana have a choice to make now that we know what's very clear about the Romney campaign. We all knew it before, as he was all over the place on every issue, but now they've made it clear. They think they have this nomination in the bag so it's time to reset. It's time to start moving to the middle. We have an opportunity here in Louisiana to make a very clear statement. We're not looking for someone who's the Etch A Sketch candidate. We're looking for someone who writes what they believe in in stone and stands true to what they say."

A Santorum adviser told CBS News/National Journal reporter Lindsey Boerma that the campaign had stopped at a Toys "R" Us store on the way to the event and picked up four Etch A Sketch toys - and that on the way to the event they were doing drawings of Romney in the car. (Santorum's campaign tweeted out a photo of Santorum using the toy with the caption "@RickSantorum studying up on @MittRomney policy positions.")

Meanwhile, Santorum spokeswoman Alice Stewart showed up at a Romney event in Maryland and handed out Etch A Sketches to reporters.

"The point is that clearly the Romney camp acknowledged what we've all been afraid of is that if he were to make it through the primary he would abandon his conservative principles and go right back to the middle," she said, pointing to Romney's relatively moderate record as Massachusetts governor. "That's absolutely the last thing that we need as conservatives."



The Santorum team isn't alone in mocking Romney over the comment. Newt Gingrich brought an Etch A Sketch to a campaign event, where he gave it to a toddler and said that with it, the child could be a presidential candidate too. He also tweeted that "Etch-A-Sketch is a great toy but a losing strategy. We need a nominee w/bold conservative solutions."

Democratic consultant Matt Ortega, meanwhile, went up with a website, etchasketchmittromney.com, featuring what are presented as Romney's contradictory statements on an Etch A Sketch screen. And on Twitter, Romney's critics asked what other toys might describe the former Massachusetts governor using the hashtag #RomneyToys. (A few samples: "Hungry, Hungry Corporations," "Backtrackgammon," "My Little Phony.")

The gaffe blunted a bit of positive news for Romney Wednesday: His endorsement from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Romney responded to questions about the criticism late Wednesday afternoon by saying that his campaign "takes on a different profile," if he gets the nomination, but his positions won't change.

"I can tell you this: When the campaign moves to becoming a general election campaign, the nature of the campaign itself in terms of staff, funding, the states we would go to will be different than today, obviously," he said, adding that the campaign becomes "much larger" and involves working with the Republican National Committee.

"The issues I'm running on will be exactly the same," Romney added, saying he "was a conservative Republican governor" and is "running as a conservative Republican."

Meanwhile, the company behind the Etch a Sketch, Ohio Art Company, says it is thrilled with all the attention. The company put out a statement in which it said that it is "Happy to see Etch A Sketch, an American classic toy, is DRAWING attention with political candidates as a cultural icon and important piece of our society."

It goes on: "A profound toy, highly recognized and loved by all, is now SHAKING up the national debate. Nothing is as quintessentially American as Etch A Sketch and a good old fashion political debate. We are pleased with the added attention being drawn to Etch A Sketch which is truly one of the most recognizable, iconic and fun toys ever developed. As one of the most classic toys of all time, Etch A Sketch has always sold particularly well with today's consumer. It is too early to tell, but we are hopeful to see if there is an uptake in sales given this recent exposure."


Sources: CBS News, CNN, MSNBC, TPM

Mitt Romney "Etch-a-Sketch" Quotes? Democrats' "Etch-A-Sketch" Attack Makes Obama Supporters Look Stupid!!

Democrats are now attacking Mitt Romney with some Stupid ""Etch-a-Sketch" Quote.

Where is the Political Substance in that Strategy?

See this kind of Foolishness is why we are in trouble!

This is why Mitt Romney is beginning to pick up Independent Voters & Big Money Donors.

Why are Democrats being so Corny & Stupid when attacking Mitt Romney??

"Etch-a-Sketch"? So Embarrassing!

Most Democrats Strategists & Advisers have 2 or more Professional Degrees but yet their Strategies for attacking Mitt Romney are so Childish & Stupid!

STOP talking about Corny, Stupid stuff like "Etch-a-Sketch" Quotes & Focus on Substantive Issues like the Economy, Jobs, Racial Profiling, Tax Reform, Entrepreneurship, Tech Start-Up Small Businesses For BLACKS & Latinos, Education, Housing, Energy, etc.,

NOT Stupid "Etch-a-Sketch" Quotes!


Here's why I disagree agree with Democrat Advisers & Strategists continuing to use Cory, Stupid Political Attacks like "Etch-a-Sketch" quotes to Attack GOP Candidates like Mitt Romney.

After Winning the BLACK Vote decades ago from Republicans, Most (NOT all) Democrat Leaders have consistently used Lower Level Politics to Attract & Keep BLACK Voters in their Coffers.

While GOP Candidates often reach up to attract Supporters, Democrats have reached down.

Reaching Down is an Insult.

Once Democrats were elected into Public Office they often governed their BLACK Constituents the same way they campaigned to attract BLACK Voters.

For Example:

When BLACK Constituents would ask BLACK Politicians & Leaders about doing things within BLACK Communities to close the Digital Divide, BLACK Leaders would ONLY provide just a little funding to Open Low Rate Technology Labs to help BLACK People learn Remedial Computer Skills.

Even though the Majority of BLACK Constituents have Owned PCS & Lap Tops in their homes for Years, this includes Low Income BLACK Constituents, BLACK Leaders thought We were Stupid or Dumb & Needed "Remedial" Help to Close the Digital Divide in BLACK Communities.

WRONG!

What BLACK Communities Needed was Training & Funding for Tech Start-Up Small Businesses to establish Internet Businesses like Facebook, Twitter, Cloud Computing, Web Design, Small Businesses Online, etc., NOT funding for "Remedial" Community Computer Labs!

This is just one example of why I am so against Democrats using Corny, Stupid Political Strategies to reach BLACK & Latino Constituents.

I Don't Need Anyone Talking Down or Reaching Down To Me!

Instead I Need BLACK Leaders Reaching Up & Talking Up To Me.

I Need BLACK Leaders & Politicians Who Have HIGH Expectations For BLACK & Latino Constituents.

Word!



Etch A Sketch comment no child's play


The fiery Republican nominating battle has forged Mitt Romney as the party's "inevitable nominee," a Romney advisor said Wednesday. And when the end is in sight, he continued, other candidates should bow out.

The absence of a GOP challenge could allow Romney to "hit a reset button for the fall campaign," Eric Fehrnstrom said on CNN's "Starting Point."

But it's what he said next that Romney opponents are jumping all over.

"Everything changes. It's like Etch A Sketch," he said. "You can shake it up and we start all over again."

Rival presidential hopeful Rick Santorum seized on the comment at a Wednesday morning campaign event and said it shows Romney is anything but a consistent conservative.

"He will say what he needs to say to win the election before him, and if he has to say something different because it's a different election and a different group of voters, he will say that, too," Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, said in Harvey, La.

"Well, that should be comforting to all of you who are voting in this primary: that whoever you vote for is going to be a completely new candidate," he said. "Remove all trace of any kind of marks and be able to draw a new picture, maybe a picture similar to when he ran for governor of Massachusetts, not as a conservative."

Fehrnstrom, the Romney adviser, made his comments when asked if the continuing challenge from Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was driving Romney "so far to the right it would hurt him with moderate voters in the general election."

With Romney's win Tuesday in Illinois, the delegate math is increasingly in his favor. He has 562 delegates and is just shy of half the delegates needed to clinch the GOP nomination. Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania stands at 249, former House speaker Newt Gingrich is at 137, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul has 69 delegates – all less than a quarter of the way towards 1,144, the magic number.

The race for delegates has produced, as in prior contests, sharp language between the candidates.

"Emotions run high. Elbows get sharp and get thrown in different directions," he told CNN's "Soledad O'Brien." "Usually when the contest comes to its natural end in a primary, people get behind the inevitable nominee, and in this case it's Mitt Romney."

Fehrnstrom acknowledged that the decision to enter or exit the race "is a very personal one that can only be made by the candidate."

"But I can speak to what happened four years ago when Mitt Romney stepped aside for John McCain," who went on to win the GOP nomination in 2008, Fehrnstrom said. "At the time, John McCain did not have the delegates he needed to clinch the nomination but he was clearly on a path to doing that. The math was very challenging for Mitt Romney."

Fehrnstrom's comments come as a conservative group behind the tea party movement, FreedomWorks, said in a Washington Times newspaper report that it would no longer protest Romney.

Romney's exit helped McCain, who endorsed Romney this cycle, consolidate the party in his favor. Fehrnstrom suggested a similar case could play out this year.

"Now, in Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, these are both decent, honorable men who have run good campaigns," he said, calling them "good Americans" and "good Republicans."

"And ultimately, I'm confident they'll make a decision that's not only right for their party, but right for them."


Sources: CNN, TPM, Google Maps

"Pac Man" vs The Annoying Orange, Pac's 30th Anniversary (Videos)

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Sources: MSNBC, Youtube

"Whack-a-Banker" Arcade Game...The British Love It!

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"Whack-a-Banker" Arcade Game Is a Hit In the UK!


An arcade game that allows people to vent their anger at bankers has proved so popular the owner keeps having to replace worn out mallets.

Inventor Tim Hunkin introduced "Whack a Banker", which is based on the older "Whack a Mole" game, at his arcade on Southwold pier in Suffolk.

Instead of players hitting pop-up moles with a mallet, within a set time, the target is pop-up bald figures.

Mr Hunkin said the game was "proving very popular".

"I keep having to replace worn-out mallets," he said.

"The bankers are bald and all look the same because that's how I think people see bankers, as faceless."

Players, who are promised a "truly rewarding banking experience", pay 40p to hit as many bankers as they can in 30 seconds.

When a customer wins a voice says: "You win. We retire. Thank you very much to the taxpayer for paying our pensions."



View Larger Map


Sources: BBC, MSNBC, Telegraph.co.uk, Google Maps

Zhu Zhu Pets Are Safe, Per Federal Gov't

Toy safety regulators said Monday that Zhu Zhu Pets, one of the holiday season's hottest toy crazes, do not violate Federal Safety standards after all.




Sources: AP, Youtube

Zhu Zhu Hamster Pet Toy May Be Extremely Dangerous...High Metal Levels

Are Zhu Zhu Pets Dangerous?


One of the hottest toys this holiday season is a mechanical hamster called "Zhu Zhu", but some new information calls into question the safety of Zhu Zhus. GoodGuide.com, a California company that tests the health impact of hundreds of products, says Zhu Zhu pets have high levels of a toxic chemical.

"The Zhu Zhu we found a chemical called antimony which is a metal which has potential health hazards related to it which if ingested in high enough levels can lead to cancer, reproductive health, and other human health hazards," says Dara O'Rourke of GoodGuide.com. O'Rourke says the federal limit is 60 parts of antimony per million but the Zhu Zhu pet has 93 parts per million in the fur and 103 in the nose.

GoodGuide.com says the danger comes when kids touch the toy and then touch their mouths or put the toy directly in the mouth. The toy is made in China for a company called Cepia LLC headquartered in St. Louis. The company insists the toy has passed rigorous tests and it is safe.

Most kids don't care about the GoodGuide.com warning. They still want Zhu Zhu pets. "It's a pet that runs around. It has a car. It has a ball," says a local young girl named Sarah who's hoping to get a Zhu Zhu hamster for Christmas.

"It's like a toy but it's like a real hamster. It's like a hamster without the mess," says Christopher in Orchard Park who says his little sister wants a Zhu Zhu pet.

Some parents who talked with Eyewitness News on Sunday though said they're less likely to buy Zhu Zhu pets now. "I think they should be recalled actually," said Patricia Quinn.


Sources: MSNBC, WKBW-TV, Topix

Michelle Obama Action Figure Dolls! Get Yours Today!

By now all of America has heard that First Lady Michelle Obama is more popular than her hubby, President Barack Obama.

In fact according to a recent Gallop poll, Michelle's ratings outshine President Obama's by at least 3%.

That's really impressive for a Washington, DC "Newbie"! Especially someone who isn't a Politician.

I can just imagine how proud BO must be of her. Sort of like how former President JFK felt about Jackie during his reign in the Oval Office. Awwwwww! How sweet.

Good News! Now fellow admirers nationwide can enjoy the presence of our new First Lady in their homes via the purchase of a new Michelle Obama action figure doll.

The dolls are manufactured by the company Hero Builders and can be ordered from their website herobuilders.com

Each figure retails for $49.95 and can be delivered to your residence within 3 weeks.

I predict that these dolls are going to become Collector's items really soon, don't you think?

I recommend you get yours immediately before they're out of stock.

Score one for Michelle! You go girl!

Sources: Hero Builders