Oh No: Media Now Concerned About GOP 'Wimp Factor'

Yes, they all shrink like violets next to manly-man Barack Obama.

The “wimp factor” — a label that was once applied with derision to George H.W. Bush — might be back to haunt the Republican Party.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty are the putative front-runners among the declared 2012 candidates. They both have many attributes. But neither man is liable to be confused with John Wayne.

And how wimpy do they look when they have -- gasp! -- a woman gaining a lot of notice this week.

This has become even more noticeable now that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) has entered the race and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has once again ramped up her profile (though she remains on the sidelines for now). Both women seem to have a stronger elemental appeal to conservative activists than do their male rivals.

And both of them would kick Obama's ass up and down Pennsylvania Avenue without breaking a sweat.

But according to today's media meme, these strong women make the guys look like wimps. Funny, but we never hear this drivel when dainty men populate the Democratic Party. What, was John Edwards some kind of he-man or something?

Palin’s elevation of “Mama Grizzlies” as an archetype of female ferocity, and Bachmann’s frequent imploring about the need to “man up,” serve as reminders that both women are more than willing to raise gender issues in a vigorous way.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if a Sarah Palin or a Michele Bachmann called into question their opponents’ — Republican or Democrat — standing as men,” said Charles Knight, a writer on gender issues.

Questions about the political muscularity of Romney and Pawlenty were raised once again in the wake of Monday night’s Republican primary debate in New Hampshire.

Oh yeah, muscularity. That's what we want in our leaders. But then if a bunch of Republicans starting flexing and showing how tough they were they'd be scolded for being too macho. Like this guy.

Just Send Joe Biden

Apparently working for tax cheat Timmy Geithner and presiding over the destruction of our economy has resulted in some long faces over at the Treasury Department.

The Contractor shall conduct two, 3-hour, Humor in the Workplace programs that will discuss the power of humor in the workplace, the close relationship between humor and stress, and why humor is one of the most important ways that we communicate in business and office life. Participants shall experience demonstrations of cartoons being created on the spot. The contractor shall have the ability to create cartoons on the spot about BPD jobs. The presenter shall refrain from using any foul language during the presentation. This is a business environment and we need the presenter to address a business audience.

Upon completion of the course, participants shall be able to:

• Understand the importance and power of humor in the workplace in a responsible manner
• How to use talents in a creative way that adds humor to everyday experiences
• Alleviate stress in home and the office
• Know how and why humor is important to communication
• Improve work-place relationships
• Prevent burn-out

Seems they out to send the VPOTUS over so he can regale them with his daily gaffes. Better yet, show them a list of Obama's campaign promises. That's always good for a chuckle.

Poverty Rate Drops, Democrats Hardest Hit

Well, the good news lasts for a couple of paragraphs, then we get into the gloom and doom from the Associated Press and typical insipid insight from Democrats.

US poverty rate declines significantly

WASHINGTON - Five years into a national economic recovery, the share of Americans living in poverty finally dropped.

The nation's poverty rate was 12.3 percent in 2006, down from 12.6 percent a year before, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. Median household income increased slightly, to $48,200.

The numbers provided some good economic news at a time when financial markets have been rattled by a slumping housing market. But they were tempered by an increase in the number of Americans without health insurance, from 44.8 million in 2005 to 47 million last year.

Naturally, Castro buddy Charles Rangel (Socialist-NY), lamented the news of declining poverty.

"Too many Americans find themselves still stuck in the deep hole dug by economic policies favoring the wealthy," House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel, D-N.Y., said in a statement. "Income remains lower than it was six years ago, poverty is higher, and the number of Americans without health insurance continues to grow."

Not all people insanely see declining poverty as higher poverty.

Douglas Besharov, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said there is a lot of good news in the numbers.

"We're looking at a situation where unemployment was down, and it was down for single mothers, who make up a substantial portion of the people in poverty," Besharov said. "We need a good economy. That's not all we need, but we should not complain when it helps lower poverty."