Mitt Romney personally blamed President Obama for the Congressional gridlock.

Reacting to the new Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures, Mr. Romney said that the data was “disappointing” and that a low rate of growth was synonymous with a stagnant employment rate and a slowly eroding take-home pay. The former governor insisted that only a new approach would help put the economy back on the right track.

“This is not the time to double down on the trickle-down government policies that have failed us. It is time for new, bold changes that measure up to the moment that can bring America’s families the certainty that the future will be better than the past,” Mr. Romney told a few hundred supporters.

The Republican nominee also reiterated his opposition to additional stimulus, pointing out that it had failed to work the first time.

“It will not stimulate the private sector any better than did the stimulus of four years ago,” he said.

However, critics are likely to continue to criticize Mr. Romney for failing to reveal exactly how he would replace Mr. Obama‘s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which he promised to repeal if elected, and how he would finance his proposal to slash taxes for all earners.

The former governor also listed all the issues Mr. Obama had failed to resolve during his first term as president and placed all the blame on him for the least productive Congress in history.

“Despite all that he inherited, President Obama did not repair our economy. He did not save Medicare and Social Security. He did not tame the spending and borrowing. He did not reach across the aisle to bring us together. Four years ago, America voted for a post-partisan president, but they have seen the most political of presidents, and a Washington in gridlock because of it,” Mr. Romney said.

The American public wishes to see the U.S. adopt a tougher stance against Iran. Source: Pew Research Center, Oct. 4-7, 2012.

The latest Pew Research Center survey released on Oct. 18 shows that American voters want the Obama administration to get tougher on Iran and prevent the Islamic republic from developing nuclear weapons.

Fifty-six percent (56%) of those questioned would like the Obama administration to adopt a stronger stance against Tehran, while 35 percent of the participants feel that the number-one priority remains avoiding a conflict at all costs. Earlier on this year, 50 percent of respondents wished the government to take a firmer stand, whereas 41 percent favored a diplomatic solution.

Among conservative Republicans, 84 percent of the participants support GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney‘s tough stance against the Islamic republic, while 38 percent of liberal Democrats agree with the former Massachusetts governor. Forty-four percent (44%) of those aged 30 or under also back a tougher stance.

Among registered voters, 78 percent of Romney supporters favor an uncompromising approach towards the Ahmadinejad regime. A mere 17 percent of those planning to cast a ballot for the former Massachusetts governor feel that avoiding a military conflict should be the main objective. Among Obama supporters, 48 percent feel the diplomatic route should be pursued, whereas 43 percent want the president to get tougher.

In this new survey, which was conducted between Oct. 4 and Oct. 7, the Pew Center interviewed 1,511 adults.

Ipsos says Mitt Romney has increased his lead over Barack Obama
by convincing some undecided voters. Photo: AP.

The latest online poll found that the former Massachusetts governor currently garners the support of 47 percent of likely voters, whereas his Democratic opponent is the favorite of 44 percent of those questioned. Mr. Romney continues to benefit from his performance during last week’s first presidential debate, which was watched by some 67 million Americans. Various surveys showed that between 46 and 67 percent of viewers felt Mr. Romney had dominated the 90-minute exchange, while a mere 22 to 25 percent of those questioned felt Mr. Obama had come on top.

Referring to the new survey, Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said that the results showed that the Republican nominee had succeeded in reversing public opinion, at least for the time being.

“The momentum is in Romney‘s direction right now,” she remarked.

Ms. Clark also pointed out that the former governor’s good showing in the survey reflected his ability to convince many undecided voters, although she emphasized that Mr. Obama‘s poor performance had not affected the level of support he benefited and still benefits from.

Yet, the poll reveals that a significant proportion of the electorate is still unsure about whom to vote for next month. Sixteen percent (16%) of registered voters told the pollsters they might still change their minds between now and polling day. Among Independent voters, 28 percent remain undecided.

The poll also reported that seven percent of registered voters had already cast their vote, while another 27 percent were planning to do so ahead of polling day.

The online survey included 1,092 likely voters and 1,312 registered voters.

On Thursday night, Vice President Joe Biden and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan will take part in the only vice-presidential debate in this election cycle and will discuss domestic and foreign policy. Next Tuesday, President Obama and Mr. Romney will meet again for a second 90-minute exchange.

The Abbotabad compound in Pakistan where bin Laden was killed in May 2012.

President Barack Obama wanted Osama bin Laden to end up in a federal court if the Navy SEALs had managed to catch him alive in May last year. The al-Qaeda leader was shot dead in Abbotabad, Pakistan during a raid on his hiding compound.

“We worked through the legal and political issues that would have been involved, and Congress and the desire to send him to Guantánamo, and to not try him, and Article III,” Mr. Obama explained.

“I mean, we had worked through a whole bunch of those scenarios. But, frankly, my belief was, if we had captured him, that I would be in a pretty strong position, politically, here, to argue that displaying due process and rule of law would be our best weapon against al-Qaeda, in preventing him from appearing as a martyr,” Mr. Obama told journalist Mark Bowden.

Last April, philosopher, political commentator and former Marine Corps Officer James Fetzer claimed that the Obama administration had made up the bin Laden raid in order to detract attention from sensitive issues, such as “not having closed Guantánamo, having stationed troops in Pakistan and having his birth certificate being subjected to minute scrutiny. […] All of that was taken off the front page by the staged fabricated attack on the compound where no one had ever seen Osama bin
Laden,” he told Press TV.
Mark Bowden’s latest book, The Finish: The Killing of Osama Bin Laden, will be out
on Oct. 16.

GOP vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan waves to supporters from a bus during a visit to Lima, Ohio, on Sept. 24, 2012. Photo: J.D. Pooley / AP.

As the political rally was under way, a male voter in the audience asked the Wisconsin representative to explain why Mr. Romney deserved the votes of those Republican voters who espoused the libertarian views of Dr. Paul. Mr. Ryan simply stated that a vote for Dr. Paul would represent a vote for Mr. Obama.

“Do you want Barack Obama to be re-elected?” he asked rhetorically, before adding, “Then, don’t vote for Ron Paul.”

The Wisconsin congressman went on to praise Dr. Paul‘s effort to force the U.S. central bank to undergo an comprehensive audit. At the end of July, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a proposal put forward by the Texas representative to demand an audit of the Federal Reserve. It was passed in a 327-98 vote, although it is unlikely to make it through the Democrat-controlled Senate. Mr. Ryan then went on to highlight how the central bank’s policies were damaging the nation.

“All of this money printing, which is coming from the Federal Reserve, risks debasing our currency. It risks undermining the value of our dollar. It risks increasing prices on things like food and gas. And among the things that the government can do to harm its people, one of the worst things is to debase its currency. We need sound money. We need our money to have a reliable store of value, especially for people living on fixed incomes. That’s an area we feel very strong about,” he stated. Mr. Ryan also pointed out that, like Congressman Paul, he truly believed in freedom and liberty.

“We believe in limited government and economic freedom. We believe in pro-growth policies that say, ‘You keep your money in your family’s budget, in your family’s business instead of sending it to Washington in the first place.’ That creates prosperity, freedom and jobs,” the vice-presidential nominee told the crowd.

Dr. Paul has not yet officially endorsed Mr. Romney for president, nor has he formally pulled out of the presidential race.

Ron Paul announced on Tuesday that the Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology Subcommittee would hold a hearing to examine the Federal Reserve's monetary policy.

Dr. Paul, who chairs the subcommittee,is concerned that the Federal Reserve is pursuing a policy which will cause the nation to experience a “much larger crash” than it did a few years ago.

“The Federal Reserve is relentless in pursuing a policy of zero interest rates, as manifest by their decision last week to engage in another round of quantitative easing and keep the federal funds rate at zero for another three years,” Dr. Paul remarked on Tuesday.

The Federal Reserve’s chairman, Ben Bernanke, announced last week that it would print $40 billion a month in order to purchase mortgage-backed securities. The central bank’s chairman also indicated that this particular policy would continue even after the economy started showing signs of improvements.

By lowering interest rates, the Federal Reserve generally hopes to increase spending and borrowing, and to stimulate employment. However, with interest rates currently at around zero percent, this policy is no longer an option. As a result, the central bank is opting to increase the amount of currency in circulation in order to boost economic activity.

“The Fed is intent on ignoring that their policy of low interest rates in the past brought us the financial crisis of 2008 and their zero interest rate policy of today is prolonging the agony while sowing the seeds for a much larger crash in future,” Dr. Paul warned.

The Texas congressman also accused the Federal Reserve of distorting interest rates and therefore the price of money.

“Their manipulation of interest rates – essentially price setting – can only ever have destructive effects on the American economy. Artificially low interest rates continue to cause malinvestment and misallocation of resources throughout the economy. Savers and investors suffer from negative real interest rates, while the federal government takes advantage of the Fed’s zero interest rate policy to run up gargantuan fiscal deficits. These problems cannot and will not be remedied until the Fed stops manipulating the price of money,” Dr. Paul insists.

The hearing is scheduled to take place on Sept. 21st, at 9:30 in room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington.

Chris Stevens and three other American embassy staff were killed after Islamist militants
fired rockets at their car, according to Libyan officials.

“This attack on American individuals and embassies is outrageous, it’s disgusting, it breaks the hearts of all of us who think of these people who have served during their lives the cause of freedom and justice and honor,” Mr. Romney said during a visit in Jacksonville, Fla.

Mr. Romney also accused the Obama administration of apologizing for an anti-Muslim film recently released by an Israeli-American real estate developer which mocked Prophet Muhammad. The film is believed to have lead to attacks against several U.S. buildings across the world.

“I also believe the administration was wrong to stand by a statement sympathizing with those who had breached our embassy in Egypt, instead of condemning their actions. It’s never too early for the United States government to condemn attacks on Americans and to defend our values,” Mr. Romney added. His remarks followed a statement published earlier on in the day.

“The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions,” a statement published online stated after the U.S. embassy was breached in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

However, the Obama administration promptly distanced itself from the original statement, pointing out that it had not been authorized by the White House.

“We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, but there is absolutely no justification for this type of senseless violence, none,” Mr. Obama stated after hearing of the death of 52-year-old U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens. Mr. Stevens was one of four U.S. personnel to have lost their lives in Benghazi after he and several others tried to assist staff who were trapped in the building which had come under attack.

In addition, Mr. Romney made clear that the U.S. still had an important role to play around the world.

“The attacks in Libya and Egypt underscore that the world remains a dangerous place and that American leadership is still sorely needed. In the face of this violence, American cannot shrink from the responsibility to lead. American leadership is necessary to ensure that events in the region don’t spin out of control. […] We must strive to ensure that the Arab spring does not become an Arab winter,” he added.

Vice President Joe Biden said Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney
was ready to attack Syria and Iran.

“He said it was a mistake to end the war in Iraq and bring all of our warriors home. He said it was a mistake to set an end date for our warriors in Afghanistan and bring them home. He implies by the speech that he’s ready to go to war in Syria and Iran,” Mr. Obama‘s vice president said.

Mr. Biden did not back up his statement at the time and The Associated Press reported that the Obama campaign had not provided additional details about his remarks.

When he spoke at the GOP National Convention last week, Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was defeated by Mr. Obama in 2008, did comment on the president’s decision to announce a withdrawal date from Afghanistan, which he said was highly likely to have “discouraged our friends and emboldened our enemies.” In the same speech, he also criticized the Obama administration for not providing assistance to Iranian dissidents when they started protesting against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad back in 2009.

The former Massachusetts governor did make clear that a Romney-Ryan administration would consider military action against the al-Assad regime if there was evidence that Syria’s chemical weapons might end up in the hands of the insurgency, as some of the rebels are believed to be closely connected to a number of terrorist organizations, such as Hezbollah and al-Qaeda. However, Mr. Obama suggested two weeks ago that his administration would take the same action in similar circumstances.

“We cannot have a situation in which chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people. We have been very clear to the Assad regime but also to other players on the ground that a red line for us is, we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized,” Mr. Obama stated during a White House press conference.

Mr. Romney‘s spokeswoman, Amanda Hennenberg, promptly rejected Mr. Biden’s claims.

“It’s no wonder that a politician who has been wrong about every major foreign policy question of the last 30 years is wrong on every count about Gov. Romney‘s strategy to restore America’s leadership role in the world,” she said.

Source: ABC News / The Washington Post, August 2012.

A new poll conducted by Langer Research Associates for ABC News and The Washington Post shows that nearly twice as many registered voters (58 percent vs. 32 percent) strongly believe that presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney would favor rich voters over middle-class voters if he were elected the next U.S. president. In contrast, only 23 percent of the participants say so of Mr. Obama, while 62 percent feel the middle class would be better off if the incumbent president served a second term.

Yet, both candidates remain in a virtual tie, with 47 percent of those questioned indicating that they would support Mr. Romney were the presidential election held today, whereas Mr. Obama is currently the favorite of 46 percent of voters.

The survey also confirms that the president’s approval ratings remain negative, especially when it comes to his handling of the economy. Indeed, while a slight majority of voters disapproves of his overall performance (50 percent vs. 47 percent), the proportion of those dissatisfied with his handling of the economy remains high. As a matter of fact, 56 percent of those questioned disapprove of Mr. Obama‘s economic policies, whereas 43 percent support the president on this issue. In addition, The Washington Post / ABC poll reports that 85 percent of the participants say they feel the economy is in bad shape, while seven out of 10 voters believe the nation is heading on the wrong track.

Surprisingly, although 50 percent of those questioned believe the former Massachusetts governor would handle the economy better than his Democratic opponent, 52 percent say they have little confidence a Romney administration would get it back on track. Fifty-eight percent (58%) do not believe a second Obama administration would bring it back from the brink.

Source: ABC News / The Washington Post, August 2012.

Voters were also asked what an ideal government should look like and how much it should be involved in everyday life. Fifty-nine percent (59%) said they favored a smaller government offering fewer services, while 35 percent indicated a preference for bigger governments providing more services. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of these respondents said Mr. Romney was much more likely to offer a less-interfering government. In contrast, 73 percent believe another Obama administration would maintain a larger government offering more services.

Yet, the survey found that 54 percent of those interviewed considered “unfairness in the economic system that favors the wealthy” a greater concern than “over-regulation of the free market that interferes with growth and prosperity,” therefore highlighting that the Democrats may be more in touch with the American electorate.

As previous surveys have shown, Mr. Obama remains more popular among female voters than his Republican opponent. While 43 percent of female registered voters support the former Massachusetts governor, President Obama still garners the support of 49 percent of women. In contrast, Mr. Romney benefits from the backing of 51 percent of male voters, compared with 42 percent for the incumbent president.

Finally, 31 percent of the president’s supporters said they had been contacted by the Obama campaign, whereas only 18 percent of the presumptive Republican nominee’s backers had heard from the Romney camp.

For this latest poll, Langer Research interviewed 1,002 adults nationally between August 22 and August 25. Among these adults, 857 described themselves as registered voters.