49.1%: Percent of the population that lives in a household where at least one member received some type of government benefit in the first quarter of 2011.

But this is always the way it’s been, right? Nope.

The 49.1% of the population in a household that gets benefits is up from 30% in the early 1980s and 44.4% as recently as the third quarter of 2008.

More and more households are dependent upon welfare. That’s not a good sign.

To borrow a phrase from the Conservatives in the United Kingdom, we need to move from Big Government to Big Society. We can’t continue down this present course.

Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) on Friday became the 27th senator to sign on to a letter opposing passage of the Law of the Sea Treaty, leaving opponents just seven votes shy of the 34 votes opponents need to doom passage of the UN maritime convention.

“We are writing to let you know that we believe this Convention reflects political, economic, and ideological assumptions which are inconsistent with American values and sovereignty,” reads the letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

67 votes are required to ratify treaties in the Senate. Here’s a list of Republicans who have yet to sign onto the letter of opposition. If your senator is on the list, please email/contact him (or her) as soon as possible. This is a matter of national sovereignty and economic prosperity. We can’t let this treaty be ratified.

Which would be troubling, except the DGA never released the previous poll that supposedly showed a wider margin. So…that “narrowing” line could be just positive spin on bad news for them.

Bottom line: Even Democratic polls are finding Walker ahead at this point. The best spin even anti-Walker polls can put on the situation is, “All is not lost, there’s still a chance — no matter how small.”

That’s good news.

More good news? This is the ninth straight poll showing Walker leading. Non-partisan outlets show Walker with an even bigger lead than the DGA poll shows. We’re in a good position.

The chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee said Friday that if Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) doesn’t prevail over Gov. Scott Walker (R) in next month’s Wisconsin recall election, there won’t be any ramifications for Democrats nationally.

“I think, honestly, there aren’t going to be any repercussions,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said in a broad-ranging interview on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers.”

“It’s an election that’s based in Wisconsin. It’s an election that I think is important nationally because Scott Walker is an example of how extreme the tea party has been when it comes to the policies that they have pushed the Republicans to adopt,” Wasserman Schultz said. “But I think it’ll be, at the end of the day, a Wisconsin-based election, and like I said, across the rest of the country and including in Wisconsin, President Obama is ahead.”

When the left thought it was going to win the talking points were quite different, of course. It was going to be a referendum on Republican policies. They were going to show the right that ordinary folks oppose Republican policies. They wanted the world watching their protests in Madison. “This is what democracy looks like,” they shouted.

But now polls show them trailing. Even internal polls show them down multiple points. Walker’s approval rating is above water and voters aren’t thrilled with Tom Barrett (D). Even normally-liberal papers, like the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, are endorsing Walker. Enthusiasm is on the right’s side. And suddenly the talking points change.

This is good. But don’t complacent. As I’ve said a million times before, we’re up against the union voter turnout machine. It’s one of the best in the country, and only those who actually show up get to decide – no matter how many great polls you see. Get out and vote. Make sure your Walker-supporting friends and family get out and vote. Let’s win this.

Tucker Carlson’s news site, The Daily Caller, has announced that it’s giving away a gun a week until Election Day. As The Atlantic Wire sagely observed, “there’s no way this could ever go wrong.” It’s such a great idea to hand out high-capacity 9mm pistols, which, according to the manufacturer, have a “snag free design ideal for concealed carry.” There’s really nothing worse than tearing your shirt when you’re trying to defend yourself.

9mm is a basic caliber pistol for home and personal defense, available even in some more restrictive jurisdictions. In fact, the FMK Firearms model 9C1 is approved by California and Massachusetts law.  Who cares if they’re handing them out? I could go down to the gun store now, buy one, and (thanks to my concealed carry permit) walk out with it immediately. Most just have to wait a few days, which they’ll have to do with this contest, too.

Besides, The Daily Caller is taking precautions. Contestants must have a federal firearms license, and the site will disqualify anyone who is caught “acting in a non-sportsmanlike or disruptive manner.”

The writer’s limited lack of knowledge shines through. Restricting the contest to federal firearms license holders would be incredibly stupid. What the rules actually say:

The winner will be required to have proper identification suitable to receive a firearm in their jurisdiction and will be required to complete an ATF Form #4473 and pass a NICS background check at their local firearms retailer that holds a valid Federal Firearms License…

The Daily Caller is not responsible for the transfer of the firearm. The firearm will be sent from FMK Firearms to the winner’s designated FFL holder. It is the responsibility of the winner to have the FFL holder fax, email, or otherwise transfer a copy of the FFL to FMK Firearms. FMK firearms will then ship the gun to the FFL holder. The winner is then responsible to complete the transaction with the FFL holder.

The FFL holder is for the background check and weapon transfer. You don’t have to hold an FFL as a contestant.

Before going any further, I should specify that I do not oppose gun ownership, and neither does the Times editorial board. We believe that sensible rules about buying and owning guns do not violate the Bill of Rights.

So he supports the Second Amendment so long as it’s effectively gutted and means nothing. Because you know by “sensible rules” the New York Times editorial board doesn’t mean background checks and denying felons the right to buy weapons.

Many gun dealers and gun publications emphasize patriotism. And that’s fine. Gun owners are certainly no less patriotic than non-gun owners.

Here’s the thing: This guy felt compelled in his left-wing bubble to assure us that people who exercise their Second Amendment rights certainly aren’t viewed in his eyes as less patriotic than people who don’t. This actually occurred to him as a possibility needing denial.

But it’s a great ambition, when you think about it, to make a gun that is not only light-weight, quick drawing and attractive (it comes in black, earth-tone, and pink), but also can rapidly pump out 11 or 15 bullets (depending on how high a capacity magazine you want) for years to come, in a way that would make the Founding Fathers proud.

Again, we have the author trying to convey the image of this being a scary piece of machinery-death, helped along by the fact most of his readership wouldn’t know an AR-15 from a M1911.

Update: Rosenthal has changed his piece to reflect the reality of the FFL requirement. The original point remains: You can see these folks have no real grasp on firearms or laws relating to firearms, yet they’re perfectly certain firearms are scary and must be further controlled.

In fact, she’s gone so far as to confirm that Obama has failed America.

In an interview, [Heidi Heitkamp, a former state attorney general] made it clear she intends to keep her distance from Obama.

“I think he’s failed in the one test America had for him, which was to unite the country,” she told The Associated Press. “I think he needed to be more hands-on. … I don’t think he’s done enough to think broadly and come up with solutions that would engage both sides in a reasonable dialogue.”

Which raises a question: Why should Independents vote to reelect Barack Obama when his own party’s candidates admit he’s failed America? I don’t see the argument for him.

By the way, the Republican running for United States Senate in North Dakota is Rick Berg. This is a great pick-up opportunity for us, so please support him if you can.

First, Bill Gates lost the “world’s richest man” crown to Carlos Slim, the Mexican businessman. Now, according to Australia’s BRW magazine, Gina Rinehart – the Australian mining magnate – has become the world’s richest woman. She takes the crown from Wal-Mart heiress Christy Walton, who held the title of world’s richest woman for seven years.

Thanks to a mining boom in Australia, which unlike the United States decided against strangling its economy, Rinehart is now worth almost $30 billion. Her wealth has tripled over the past year.

Walker is helped by his approval rating, which rests above water at 52%. 48% disapprove.

I hesitate to post such results because people tend to become complacent. Don’t get complacent. We’re up against the union turnout machine. It ain’t over till it’s over.

Get out and vote. Or if your Walker-supporting friends and family live in Wisconsin, make sure they get out and vote. Please. Let’s win this thing.

Aha! Just lie about the statistics. More specifically, just don’t report some crimes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

When Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn touted the city’s fourth-straight year of falling crime in February, hundreds of beatings, stabbings and child abuse cases were missing from the count, a Journal Sentinel investigation has found.

More than 500 incidents since 2009 were misreported to the FBI as minor assaults and not included in the city’s violent crime rate, the investigation found. That tally is based on a review of cases that resulted in charges – only about one-fifth of all reported crimes.

Why do this?

Yet the misreported cases found in 2011 alone are enough that Flynn would have been announcing a 1.1% increase in violent crime in February, instead of a 2.3% decline from the reported 2010 numbers, which also include errors.

Ah. So what would have been an increase in crime on Mayor Barrett’s watch was transformed into a decrease in crime thanks to the magical properties of lying, manipulating, and defrauding.

A new poll from Public Policy Polling shows Mitt Romney up by seven points in the Grand Canyon State. And more important yet, Romney’s favorable rating is above water there: 46/45.

Barack Obama’s not helping himself there, either. Just 41% approve of his job performance whereas 56% disapprove. Romney leads him amongst Independents, 48-48, and whites, 56-36.

I completely encourage Democrats to spend as much money as possible in Arizona, chasing the end of the rainbow. That’d leave less money for them to spend in real swing states like Ohio, Florida, and Colorado.

Earlier we noted seven prominent Democrats, including governors and senators, who condemned the attacks or outright defended Bain from Obama’s slime campaign. Two more Democrats have now joined the fold.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), a widely respected member of Congress, stopped short of criticizing the president, but made it clear that the campaign should pivot.

“It’s done,” she said. “Go on to other things now.”

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told The Hill, “I think the average American … hopes that this campaign will focus on competing visions for how to strengthen our economy, help create jobs and move the country forward.”

Pressed on whether he thought Obama’s campaign had operated within those guidelines, Coons paused.

“I’m not going to comment on President Obama’s ad,” he said, shaking his head vigorously.

You know Obama’s attack has failed when even liberal Democrats are telling him to move on. Hopefully for the sake of decency he’ll listen to them.

Update: It’s early on, but with 4% of counties reported we have Obama at 59% and Wolfe at 41%.

Update X2: Things aren’t moving very quickly. We still only have 5.33% reporting, and Obama is at 66%.

Update X3: 14% reporting and it’s Obama 59% to Wolfe 41%. But Obama has just lost his first Arkansas county to Wolfe.

Update X4: Obama is trailing Wolfe in 30 of Arkansas’ 75 counties.

Update X5: Wolfe has defeated Obama in three counties so far.

Update X6: Obama is going to win the state (as would be expected) but he’s trailing in 32 counties. He’s lost 12 already.

So far tonight, eleven counties in the Bluegrass State have voted for “Uncommitted” over Obama in the Democratic primary. And the results are still being tallied as I write this. Stay tuned, because we have Arkansas coming up, too.

Update: We’re up to 14 counties that have gone to “Uncommitted” instead of Obama.

Update X2: And now it’s 15. Hey, national Democrats? How’s that plan to attack coal and demonize blue collar values working out for you?

Update X3: 18. This is getting absurd.

Update X4: 22. We’re up to 22 counties where “Uncommitted” has beaten Obama in the Democratic primary.

Update X5: 25. This has to stop at some point, right?

Update X6: Nope. Because we now have number 27.

Update X7: 34. “Uncommitted” taking 40% of the overall Democratic vote in the state.

Update X8: 38 counties.

Update X9: Obama has now lost 50 Kentucky counties to Uncommitted. There are another 13 where he trails.

• Newark Mayor Cory Booker
• Former Congressman Harold Ford
• Auto czar Steve Rattner
• Senator Mark Warner
• Former DNC chair and Governor Ed Rendell
• Obama major fundraiser Tony James

And now Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who defended Bain Capital from Obama’s attacks on CNN a short time ago. The Washington Free Beacon captured the interview.

Conservative grassroots favorite Ted Cruz has pulled within single-digits of establishment favorite David Dewhurst in the Texas Republican primary for U.S. Senate, according to a new non-partisan poll.

David Dewhurst: 40%

Ted Cruz: 31%

Tom Leppart: 17%

Dewhurst would need to achieve 51% of the vote or more in order to avoid a run-off between himself and Cruz.

Dewhurst isn’t certain he could win such a run-off primary with momentum swinging to his conservative challenger.

This morning on MSNBC, former venture capitalist Sen. Mark Warner D-Va. admitted that Bain Capital was “very successful” and “did what they were supposed to do.”

When asked about whether attacks on private equity were fair, Warner said that he was “proud” of his previous career in the private sector but noted that public service required a “different skill set.”

“Bain Capital was a very successful business. They got a good return for their investors. That is what they were supposed to do,” Warner said.

The Obama narrative continues to unravel.

The woman beating the pinata of Governor Nikki Haley (R) is South Carolina AFL-CIO president Donna Hewitt. Someone who’d have a cow if Republicans beat a pinata of, say, Barack Obama.

Embedding has been disabled, so you’ll have to go to YouTube to watch it. It’s just 33 seconds so you’re not in for a long haul. Remember people like this when you hear “organized labor”.

Rendell joined the chorus of criticism of Obama’s attacks on finance, whose leaders have written checks to many members of both parties.

“I think they’re very disappointing,” Rendell said of the ads attacking Bain. “I think Bain is fair game, because Romney has made it fair game. But I think how you examine it, the tone, what you say, is important as well.”

As for Booker, “I admire him,” Rendell said. “People in politics should tell the truth. He could have qualified it better, he could have framed it better, but if you’re in this business, none of us like negative ads.”

Rendell joins Mayor Cory Booker, Former Congressman Harold Ford, and Obama auto czar Steve Rattner in coming out against his own party’s leadership over the attacks on Bain. Good for them.

Believe it or not, such propaganda was required by the ObamaCare law. You read that properly. The legislation mandated taxpayers spend money convincing themselves that the legislation is good. It was crafted that way.

Just 16% of Americans say their financial situation has improved since Obama took office in January 2009. 30% say they’re worse off. Most haven’t seen a change.

That explains why Americans disapprove of the president’s handling of the economy by a margin of 55-42. That has opened a significant opportunity for Romney.

That said, Romney has inched closer to Obama on the key question of who better understands the economic problems of average Americans, halving a 17-percentage point Obama lead in February to 8 points now. And while blame for the economy still falls more on Bush than on Obama, that’s narrowed to 49-34 percent – a still-substantial 15-point margin, but down from 25 points in January. The more Obama takes the blame, the greater his risk.

Another factor: Obama’s overall job approval rating, now back under 50 percent (47 percent approve, 49 percent disapprove) after hitting the halfway mark last month for just the second time since the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Part of what’s hurt Romney until now has been his favorable/unfavorable rating. But polls show those numbers improving the more people learn about him.

Last month this ABC News/Washington Post poll showed Obama leading Romney 51-44. The new poll has Romney behind by just three and Obama under 50% (49-46).

Marks and Spencer has reported a fall in annual profits in what the retailer describes as a tough environment.

Pre-tax profits for the year to the end of March were £658m, down 16% from the previous year’s £781m.

People can talk a big game but there’s more honesty when they have to put their money where their mouth is.

That’s essentially the underlying basis of InTrade. People bet something either will happen or won’t happen. If they get their prediction right, they make money. If they get it wrong, they lose it. So, with money on the line, they tend to tell the truth about their expectations.

With polls showing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) leading Tom Barrett (D) in the state’s recall election, and even Barrett’s hometown papers endorsing Walker, the common wisdom is that Walker will pull out a victory on June 5th. InTraders give Walker a 93% chance of victory.

All of that having been said, Walker’s supporters shouldn’t get cocky. The union machine is incredibly effective at voter turnout, and only those voters who actually show up get a say. Team Walker needs to keep the right’s enthusiasm high and make sure supporters remember it ain’t over till its over.

Folks, if you have Walker supporter friends or family in Wisconsin, please make sure they get out and vote on June 5th. If you live there please don’t skip voting based on the fallacy that Walker has this in the bag. You’re up against one of the best GOTV efforts known to man. So get out and vote.

But now we can add a third line to its notorious reputation: Taking luxurious taxpayer-funded trips to island destinations.

Just weeks after Congress publicly excoriated the General Services Administration for spending $823,000 on an agency conference in Las Vegas, the judges and staff of the nation’s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals are headed to their own lavish, taxpayer-funded conference — in Maui.

The California-based court’s get-together, scheduled for mid-August, could end up costing taxpayers as much as $1 million, according to congressional aides. That because while there’s supposedly private funding available for the golf and tennis tournaments, yoga and surfing lessons, taxpayers are on the hook for airfare, meals, and rooms at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa.

To be fair, other federal circuit courts are holding expensive taxpayer-funded getaways, too.

The Second Circuit, which includes New York, Connecticut, and Vermont, will host its annual retreat in June at the Mohonk Mountain House luxury resort and spa. Court officials refused to private details for the taxpayer-funded event, calling it “private”.

Mayor Cory Booker (D)

ABC News reports the Obama campaign is in damage control mode after several prominent Democrats distanced themselves from the campaign’s despicable attacks on Bain Capital and Mitt Romney’s work there.

On Sunday, Newark Mayor and rising Democratic star Cory Booker said the president’s attacks on Bain are “nauseating” and made him “very uncomfortable”. He later tried to back down but it was too late.

Then today another promising young Democrat, former Congressman Harold Ford of Tennesse, said he agreed with the substance of Booker’s remarks and wouldn’t have backed down from that position.

Obama auto czar Steve Rattner was also in on the fun, referring to the Obama campaign’s attacks on private equity (which is the nature of Bain’s work) as “unfair”. Rattner went further, defending Bain itself.

Democrats have never hesitated to take money from private equity. In fact, the Obama campaign tried to blame a company’s closure by Bain on Romney when in fact the man leading Bain was an Obama bundler.

Some, like Booker and Rattner and Ford, just can’t stomach the hypocrisy of fellow Democrats who want to eat their cake and have it too. Romney should spend every minute reminding voters of that reality.

At 1:23pm today, Maher tweeted:

Why even listen to #MittRomney on foreign policy? His entire FP experience is 2 yrs trying to brow-beat Frenchmen into joining his cult

That “cult” being Mormonism, a branch of Christianity with numbers of followers reaching well into the millions. Other followers include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), Twilight series author Stephenie Meyer, and Phil Farnsworth, the renowned inventor of electronic television.

Maher is just the latest left-winger hoping to use Romney’s religion against him. The Washington Post today ran a story that tries to connect Romney with something a Mormon militia did 150 years. Why they’re not anywhere near as concerned with the most powerful Senate Democrat being of the same religion isn’t clear.

Outrage caused the Obama campaign to issue a statement distancing itself from Maher. But the left-wing comedian has made outrageous statements before, including referring to women as “twats” and “c*nts”. Obama’s superPAC has repeatedly refused to return Maher’s donation. They want to distance themselves but still take his money.

The incident under investigation took place at the same time as the Secret Service scandal. Sources tell CBS News that the agents involved have been removed from the country.

Update: Chad Pergram, senior Capitol Hill producer for Fox News, says his sources confirm CBS News’ report.

I’ve just concluded reading the latest edition of Donald Rumsfeld’s much-talked-about book Known and Unknown. Conclusion? It’s a must-read for history junkies, political junkies, and just about anyone who wants greater insight into some of the biggest political and geopolitical events of the past few decades.

The tome, clocking in at more than 700 pages, is intimidating at first. I half didn’t want to read it. But one quickly discovers it’s an easy and interesting read, made only more so when you realize how often Secretary Rumsfeld was present for history-changing events. I consider myself well-versed in American political history and yet was still surprised at times.

That famous meeting with Saddam Hussein? Covered. The days fighting for civil rights legislation? Covered. That time Lyndon Johnson gave Congressman Rumsfeld & Co. a tour of the Texan’s master bathroom? Wait, what? Yeah, that’s in there, too. Rumsfeld backs up his recollections with an astounding number of documents, many previously unreleased, easily found on his website.

One particular timely note involves Rumsfeld joining with others in tossing a Republican leadership that became complacent and resigned to being in the minority, keeping seats warm. Sound familiar?

This new edition of Known and Unknown will be released on May 29th. I should note the updated version includes Secretary Rumsfeld’s thoughts on the killing of Osama Bin Laden. It’s worth the read. The whole book itself is worth the $15 on Amazon. Plus, all proceeds from the sale of Known and Unknown are being donated to military charities. So you’re learning something and doing good at the same time. It’s a win-win.

I don’t think Frank likes how Obama handled the gay marriage issue, pretending for years to oppose it, for political advantage of course, and then flip-flopping only when it was politically advantageous — and after the North Carolina vote.

I mean, why would you invite to your wedding someone who’s willing to sell your ideology and even happiness down the river for temporary political convenience? What an awkward and bitter day that would be.

I don’t approve of gay marriage, and I think Frank is just awful in ways totally disconnected from his sexual preference, but I could understand why what Obama did would offend and anger the outgoing congressman.

Consider this post in loving memory of Cory Booker’s prospects of a career in national Democratic politics. Damn shame, too, because Mayor Booker is decent on issues like school choice and law enforcement.

Seriously though, this guy doesn’t just defend Bain Capital — and subsequently Romney — from his own party’s attacks. He goes further and notes unions invest in Bain to fund their pensions. It’s a double kick in the teeth to the extreme left.

Well done, Mayor Booker. Well done.

Yet when Islamist thugs in Pakistan, which still executes people for converting from Islam to another religion, demanded the speech be censored, Facebook caved. The Pakistani Ministry of Information Technology confirms the recently-IPO’d company agreed to censor the material.

But there is one silver lining: Twitter told the Islamist thugs to take a hike. The social network was subsequently blocked in Pakistan, which has angered liberals, journalists, and other reformers in the country. Some are managing to defy the ban, apparently through VPNs. Good job.