Yet another Occupy encampment was liquidated this morning, this time in Dallas. Another, in Philadelphia, was informed by the city that their eviction was imminent. Like all the other Occupy encampments, what liberal Democrats who run both cities first thought was a cute protest for higher taxes, turned into havens for drug dealing, filth, and sexual assaults.
The American people have been watching the progressive movement in action and they are not impressed. Public Policy Polling, a liberal polling firm, released a poll on the movement yesterday showing that what little support the Occupy movement initially had, has since cratered. When asked last month, Americans were split on the Occupy movement with 35% supporting the movement’s goals and 36% opposing them. This month, support had fallen to 33% and opposition had risen to 45%. Even worse for liberals, when asked to choose which movement they supported more, the Tea Party or Occupy, Americans chose the Tea Party 43%-37%.
The Occupy movement seems intent on making these numbers worse. In New York, occupiers are planning a International Day of Action which will include disrupting business at Wall Street in the morning and occupying transit hubs in each of the five burroughs in the afternoon. And in Washington, Occupy DC plans to march on the Key Bridge. Although the protesters say they will not tie up traffic, it is hard to see how their presence won’t disrupt the rush hour..
The Occupy movement was already becoming unpopular when they were just a smelly nuisance downtown. If they start making people late for work they will quickly find themselves more unpopular than Congress. Politicians who have abetted this movement will be facing even angrier constituents.
Around the Bigs
The Washington Examiner, Idaho man arrested in White House shooting case: An Idaho man suspected of firing an assault rifle near the White House was arrested at a hotel in southwestern Pennsylvania. U.S. Park Police and Secret Service officers questioned protesters at Occupy DC after receiving tips the suspect had been seen near the campsite. Authorities said they had no evidence the suspect was part of the Occupy DC movement.
The Washington Times, Federal debt tops $15 trillion: After rising more than $56 billion in just one day, the Treasury Department announced yesterday that the federal debt passed $15 trillion, a new record.
The Wall Street Journal, Banks Face Funding Stress: European banks short on cash are devising complex and risky asset swaps that enable them to continue borrowing from the European Central Bank. The deals are increasing the risk that Europe’s entire financial system could collapse.
The New York Times, Re-election Strategy Is Tied to a Shift on Smog: Based on interviews with White House and EPA officials, The New York Times is now confirming that Obama’s decision to rescind his smog regulations was 100% political: “[Obama] told Ms. Jackson that she would have an opportunity to revisit the Clean Air Act standard in 2013 — if they were still in office. We are just not going to do this now, he said.”
The Washington Examiner, Obama dispatching troops to Australia: President Obama announced Wednesday that he would send 250 Marines to northern Australia next year, the first wave of what is expected to be a 2,500 U.S. troop base there.
The Washington Examiner, Senate GOP proposes welfare program reforms: Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C, and two other conservative senators, introduced a sweeping welfare reform bill that would cap welfare spending at 2007 levels and save $2.43 trillion over 10 years.
Campaign 2012
Gingrich: The Examiner‘s Tim Carney details the many big businesses that paid Newt Gingrich millions to convince conservatives to support big-government policies. “This cavalier attitude toward the monetization of public service will likely irritate conservatives who fume at the cronyism and corporatism of the Obama administration, but they will be more disturbed by Gingrich’s abuse of the phrase ‘free enterprise.’”
Perry: Rick Perry challenged Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to a debate on his plans to reform Congress.
Obama: The Service Employees International Union officially endorsed Obama for reelection yesterday.
Righty Playbook
At RedState, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., warns conservatives about a provision in the latest temporary spending bill that would increase the size of loans that the Federal Housing Administration can insure. “Sometimes it seems like Congress didn’t learn anything from the housing crisis at all.”
Hot Air‘s Ed Morrissey posts a House Government Reform and Oversight video calling out Obama for his silence on the million-dollar bonuses taxpayers were forced to give to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac CEOs.
The Corner‘s Katrino Trinko details the trouble Freddie Mac faced from conservatives in Congress when Newt Gingrich was paid $1.6 million to improve its image among Republicans..
Lefty Playbook
The Washington Post‘s E.J. Dionne is rooting for deficit reduction through Super Congress failure: “If Congress simply fails to act between now and Jan. 1, 2013, the tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush expire, $1.2 trillion in additional budget cuts go through under the terms of last summer’s debt-ceiling deal, and a variety of other tax cuts also go away.”
The Washington Post‘s Ezra Klein says it won’t be as easy as everyone claims to defuse the Super Congress-spending-cut-trigger.
Talking Points Memo asks if Newt Gingrich’s “historian fib” could make him history.
