2012 Presidential Campaign Blog

President Obama To Award Presidential Medal of Freedom to Minnesotan Bob Dylan on Tuesday, May 29, 2012

President Obama To Award Presidential Medal of Freedom to Minnesotan Bob Dylan on Tuesday, May 29, 2012

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, May 29th, President Barack Obama will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  The Medal of Freedom is our Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.  The Medals will be presented at the White House in an afternoon ceremony.

Bob Dylan

One of the most influential American musicians of the 20th century, Dylan released his first album in 1962.  Known for his rich and poetic lyrics, his work had considerable influence on the civil rights movement of the 1960s and has had significant impact on American culture over the past five decades.  He has won 11 Grammys, including a lifetime achievement award.  He was named a Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Art et des Lettres and has received a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation.  Dylan was awarded the 2009 National Medal of Arts.  He has written more than 600 songs, and his songs have been recorded more than 3,000 times by other artists.  He continues recording and touring around the world today.

Charlotte in 2012 Announces Event Planners and State Delegation Welcome Event Locations

Charlotte in 2012 Announces Event Planners and State Delegation Welcome Event Locations

CHARLOTTE, NC – Today at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the Charlotte in 2012 Convention Host Committee announced the 13 event planning companies selected to manage welcome events for the 2012 Democratic National Convention delegates. All 13 of the planning companies that secured the event planning bid have local ties: they are either based in North Carolina, have a Charlotte office, or have partnered with a North Carolina event planning company to put on the event.

“Some of our guests have never been to the area and this is a great way to give them a taste of the region and showcase the diversity of our local businesses and venues,” Charlotte in 2012 Executive Director Dr. Dan Murrey said.

The Delegate Welcome Events will be held on September 2 and will be divided between 12 venues around the region that will host the approximately 6,000 delegates. The venues represent the diversity, culture, landscape, and history of the Charlotte region. Rather than hosting all delegates at one venue, choosing to host these welcome events at 12 venues expands business opportunities to companies across the region.

“I am especially happy to report that all the companies are local or have a major presence in the area,” Charlotte in 2012 Chief of Event Planning Mary Tribble said.

Charlotte in 2012 released a Request for Proposal (RFP) through the Vendor Directory for these event planners. The Host Committee evaluated proposals based on numerous criteria, including experience, reliability, relationships to Charlotte and the region, participation of union labor, women, minorities, LGBT, veterans and persons with disabilities, and innovative proposed event concepts.

“I’d like to thank the Host Committee for their continued hard work and commitment to ensuring our convention visitors come away excited by all Charlotte has to offer—from its fantastic restaurants and entertainment, to its incomparable Southern hospitality,” said Travis Dredd, Chief of Staff for the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC).

Charlotte in 2012 and the DNCC adopted a diversity contracting policy for the 2012 Democratic National Convention. The policy states that the DNCC has a goal of spending at least one-third of its funding on contracts and projects with Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), Disability-Owned Businesses, LGBT-Owned Businesses, and Veteran-Owned Businesses. Nine of the selected planners qualify as WBEs, four as MBEs, and one as a LGBT-Owned Business.

“I am proud that our planners reflect the diversity of the Charlotte region. This shows the effective process that has been put in place by the Host Committee and the DNCC. This process has allowed me and others on our team to reach far and wide into the community, to meet new people, and connect them with new vendors,” Tribble said.

The following is a list of the selected event planning companies, the venue they are responsible for, and the state delegations that they will host:

• Charlotte Destination Group will host the delegates from Wisconsin, Nebraska and Iowa at the Carolina Raptor Center.

• Creative Events will host the delegates from Colorado, Arizona, Washington and Oregon at the Levine Museum of the New South.

• Dina Berg Blazek Events will host the delegates from Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and West Virginia at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens.

• Event Fantasies will host the delegates from New Jersey and Maryland at the Wadsworth Estate.

• GO! Productions will host the delegates from California, Alaska, Idaho and Montana at the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

• It’s My Affair will host the delegates from New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture.

• Lighthouse Creative Works and Favor Me Events will host the delegates from Illinois, Delaware, Hawaii, Pennsylvania and Ohio at the Mint Museum.

• The Main Event will host the delegates from Florida, Mississippi and Alabama at the Historic Rosedale Plantation.

• New Century Planning will host the delegates from Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Guam, American Samoa and Wyoming at the Duke Mansion.

• Soiree Charlotte will host the delegates from Kentucky, U.S. Virgin Islands, Oklahoma, Indiana and abroad at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art.

• The Special Event Company will host the delegates from Texas, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Louisiana, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico at the Discovery Place.

• Team Epic will host the delegates from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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Mitt Romney Announces Members Of Education Policy Advisory Group

MITT ROMNEY ANNOUNCES MEMBERS OF EDUCATION POLICY ADVISORY GROUP

Boston, MA – Today, Mitt Romney announced the members of his Education Policy Advisory Group. The group is composed of individuals with deep and diverse experience in a variety of roles across K-12 education, postsecondary education, and workforce training in both the public and private sectors. 

“I am proud to announce the support of this impressive group of policy leaders who are devoted to expanding educational opportunities for students,” said Governor Romney. “Our education system is failing too many of our kids, and I look forward to working closely with these leaders to chart a new course that emphasizes school choice and accountability, the importance of great teachers, and access to quality, affordable higher education."

“It is an honor to work with Governor Romney and his team to help develop innovative solutions to our nation’s education challenges,” said Nina Rees, a group co-chair for K-12 education.  “He established an extraordinary track record of results during his time as governor of Massachusetts, and I am confident that with his leadership and his focus on achievement we can ensure that all students have access to the education they deserve.”

K-12 Education Co-Chairs

Nina S. Rees
Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Knowledge Universe; Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education (2002-06).

Dr. Martin R. West
Assistant Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Executive Editor, Education Next.

Higher Education Co-Chairs

Phil Handy
Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Industries; Chairman of the Florida State Board of Education (2001-07); Twice appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Board of Education Sciences, served as Vice Chairman; Member of the Florida Governor’s Council of 100 (1987-present), Board of Directors, and Chair, preK-14 Education Committee; Director, Foundation for Educational Excellence.

Bill Hansen
Chairman & CEO of Madison Education Group; Chairman & President of Scantron/Global Scholar (2009-11); Deputy Secretary of Education (2001-03); President of the Education Finance Council (1993-2001); Assistant Secretary of Education for Management and Budget & CFO (1991-92); serves on numerous corporate, university, and philanthropic boards.

Workforce Training Co-Chairs

Dr. Carol D'Amico
Vice President of Project Lead the Way; Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S. Department of Education (2001); Chair of National Advisory Council on Institutional Quality and Integrity (2004-07); Board Member, Institute for Education Sciences (2003-07); Director, Center on Workforce Development, Hudson Institute, and co-author of Workforce 2020, Published Hudson Institute (1997); Executive Vice President, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana (2004-07).

Emily Stover DeRocco
President of the Washington, D.C.-based Manufacturing Institute (2008-present); Assistant Secretary for Employment & Training at the U.S. Department of Labor (2001-08); Senior Advisor to Secretaries of Energy and the Interior (1981-88); holds two University Board of Trustees positions.

Special Advisor

Dr. Rod Paige
U.S. Secretary of Education (2001-05); Dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern University, established the University's Center for Excellence in Urban Education; Superintendent of the Houston Independent School District; 2001 National Superintendent of the Year; Public Policy Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Committee

John Bailey
White House Domestic Policy Council; Deputy Policy Director to the Secretary of Commerce; Director of Educational Technology for the U.S. Department of Education; currently works with education entrepreneurs, philanthropies, and private sector investors. 

Dr. Robert M. Costrell
Professor of Education Reform and Economics, Endowed Chair in Education Accountability, University of Arkansas; Chief Economist, Commonwealth of Massachusetts (2003-06); Education Advisor to Governor Mitt Romney (2005-06).

Christina Culver
President of CH Global Strategies; Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education (2003-06);  Co-Author, “Virtual Schooling: a Guide to Optimizing Your Child’s Education.”

Dr. John E. Chubb
Interim Chief Executive Officer, Education Sector; Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution.

Dr. Bill Evers
Research Fellow, Hoover Institution; Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Education (2007-09); Senior Adviser for Education, Coalition Provisional Authority, Iraq (2003); National Educational Research Policy and Priorities Board (2001-02).

Scott Fleming
President and Vice Chairman of Madison Education Group; former Senior Vice President at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Scantron; Senior Education Policy Advisor and Professional Staff to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (2002-06). 

Julio A. Fuentes
President & CEO of Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (Hispanic CREO).  Hispanic CREO’s mission is to improve educational outcomes for Hispanic children by empowering families through parental choice in education.

Tom Luna
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction (2007-present); President of Council of Chief State School Officers (2011-present); Senior Advisor to U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige (2003-05); Chair of Idaho’s Assessment and Accountability Commission (2000-02); Chair of Nampa School Board (1997-2000).

Dr. Paul E. Peterson
Henry Lee Shattuck Professor of Government, Harvard University; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Editor-in-Chief, Education Next; Member, Independent Review Panel, No Child Left Behind, U.S. Department of Education (2002-06).

Jim Peyser
Managing Partner with New Schools Venture Fund and Chairman of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers; Former Chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education (1996-2003); Former Executive Director of Pioneer Institute (1993-2000).

Dr. Herbert Walberg
Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution.

Dr. Grover (Russ) Whitehurst
Senior Fellow and Director of the Brookings Institution’s Brown Center on Education Policy; Director of the U.S. Institute of Education Sciences (2002-08); Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement at the U.S. Department of Education (2001-02); Board of Directors of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2004-07).

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Ron Paul Endorsed by Rapid City, South Dakota City Councilman Jordan Mason

Ron Paul Endorsed by Rapid City, South Dakota City Councilman Jordan Mason

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul was endorsed today by the Hon. Jordan Mason, City Councilman, Ward 4 of Rapid City, South Dakota.
 
In making public his endorsement, Councilman Mason said he was doing so as a private citizen and not on behalf of any organization with which he is affiliated.
 
“I stand for strong fiscal policy.  I stand for solving our problems at home before we try to solve other countries’ problems abroad.  I stand for liberty and I stand for the American dream.  And so I stand behind Ron Paul,” said Councilman Mason.
 
Councilman Mason is the youngest member of the Rapid City Council, which does not hold partisan elections.
 
Prior to his service as a city council member, Mason served four years in the U.S. Navy as a CTT3 (Cryptological Technical Technician) in the Global War on Terrorism while on a SNMG-1 Tour in 2004-2005, and in the War on Drugs during 2006-2007.  During his service he received two Letters of Commendation, a Good Conduct Medal, a Defense Ribbon, and a Battle “E” Ribbon, to name only a few such honors.
 
Mason was honorably discharged from the Navy as a Petty Officer 3rd Class and then pursued his college education from 2007-2011.  During that time, he ran for city council in 2010 against the sitting President of the Common Council and won on June 28, 2010.  Last year Mason graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Interdisciplinary Sciences (Pre-law).

Ron Paul Decisively Wins Minnesota and Carries Delegates in Multiple Other States

Ron Paul Decisively Wins Minnesota and Carries Delegates in Multiple Other States
Gains in Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont and Virginia affirm delegate-attainment strategy

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – Supporters of 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul have propelled him to an historic win in Minnesota this weekend, with delegate gains having occurred in multiple other states as well.  The recent achievements affirm Paul’s delegate-attainment strategy, and support the notion that he and his platform will be featured prominently at the Republican National Convention in Tampa this August.
 
In Minnesota, Paul organizers won a decisive 12 of 13 delegates to the RNC at the Rivers Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud, wrapping up the North Star State’s two-tier nominating contest.  Earlier this spring, Paul supporters won 20 of 24 delegates at district conventions.  In all, the Paul camp has swept the state of Minnesota winning 32 of the state’s 40 national delegates.
 
In addition to Paul’s consequential victory in Minnesota, Paul organizers won delegates in Mitt Romney’s home state of Michigan.  There, Paul supporters estimate that they have won eight voting slots plus one non-voting delegate and 11 alternates.  Of the 14 Congressional District voting contests held this weekend, Paul organizers won RNC delegates in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 9th Districts, denying Detroit-born Romney a clean sweep of his home state.  The Michigan victory occurred despite a heavy Romney campaign presence promoting a win for the establishment pick and presumptive nominee.
 
At the Vermont Republican State Convention this weekend, Ron Paul supporters won two of 14 national delegates, with two more considered potential allies, and they won 10 of 14 alternates.  In all, Vermont has 17 delegates including super delegates.
 
Finally in Virginia, 11 district conventions have been taking place in recent weeks and have ended this weekend.  In those contests Ron Paul supporters won 17 of 33 national delegates selected, with the remainder of the state’s 49 delegates including super delegates to be selected at the June 16th state convention.  Also in Virginia, Paul supporters elected a Republican Congressional District Chair in the Third District, over a dozen liberty-oriented Republican State Central Committee Members five of whom are Ron Paul supporters, dozens of Republican county and city committee chairs, and hundreds of county and city committee members.
 
“Victories in Minnesota and other states demonstrate that Ron Paul supporters possess the adaptability, organizational muscle, and unmatched enthusiasm required to continue winning delegates in upcoming contests,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Manager John Tate.
 
“We’re also pleased to see Ron Paul supporters engaged in party-building to broaden the activist and voting base that will advance Republican majorities for many years to come,” added Mr. Tate.

Barack Obama will be at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Barack Obama will be at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on Thursday, May 24, 2012

When:
Thursday, May 24th

Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

Where:

Iowa State Fairgrounds
Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center
3000 E. Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50317

Guests should arrive at the main entrance of the fairgrounds at the intersection of E. 30th and Grand Ave.

Tickets are not required. Event is open to the public on a first come, first serve basis.

MN GOP Chairman Pat Shortridge Congratulates Newly Elected RNC National Committeewoman, Janet Beihoffer on her Election

MNGOP Chairman Pat Shortridge Congratulates Newly Elected RNC National Committeewoman, Janet Beihoffer on her Election
 
St. Paul-The Republican Party of Minnesota issued the following statements congratulating newly elected RNC National Committeewoman from Minnesota, Janet Beihoffer, on her election. Beihoffer was elected at today’s State Central Committee meeting for the Republican Party of Minnesota by a vote of 215 to 124. She served as Election Day Operations Director for the State Party in 2010 and currently serves as the Voting Integrity Director for 2012. Beihoffer will take office after the RNC Convention held in Tampa in August.

“I want to thank the delegates for this opportunity to serve as National Committeewoman for Minnesota to the RNC. This is a critical time for our country, our state and our State Party, and I look forward to joining the team in this new capacity. We must unite as conservatives and work to see our initiatives move forward and our candidates get elected. I am ready to get to work on behalf of our endorsed candidates as we head into November,” said newly elected MNGOP National Committeewoman Janet Beihoffer.

“I want to thank both of our candidates for running for this very important position within the Republican Party, and congratulate Janet Beihoffer on being elected as National Committeewoman. Janet has served the Republican Party at many levels and in a variety of capacities over the past several years, and we look forward to working with her in this new role to move our state and our country forward. Minnesota Republicans can rest assured that Janet will work on their behalf at the RNC and here in Minnesota to continuing growing our Party,” said MNGOP Chairman Pat Shortridge.

MN GOP Chairman Pat Shortridge Congratulates RNC National Committeeman, Jeff Johnson on his Re-Election

MNGOP Chairman Pat Shortridge Congratulates RNC National Committeeman, Jeff Johnson on his Re-Election
 
St. Paul-The Republican Party of Minnesota issued the following statements congratulating RNC National Committeeman from Minnesota, Jeff Johnson, on his re-election. Johnson was re-elected by acclamation at today’s State Central Committee meeting for the Republican Party of Minnesota. He was first elected to this position on April 16, 2011.

“I would like to thank the delegates for their support in re-electing me to serve as National Committeeman for Minnesota to the RNC. This is a great opportunity and I’m excited to continue the work we have started. I will continue my work to ensure a close relationship with the RNC as we head into November and work as part of the State Executive Committee to send our Republican majorities back to St. Paul, fire Senator Klobuchar and flip some of our Congressional seats in November,” said National Committeeman Jeff Johnson.

“Jeff Johnson has been a great asset to the Republican Party of Minnesota over the past several months, and I look forward to working with him as we head into November. Jeff is a proven conservative voice from his days in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and as a current Hennepin County Commissioner and RNC National Committeeman. I look forward to working with him and the rest of our team to ensure great victories come November,” said MNGOP Chairman Pat Shortridge.