Romney?s Chances in Iowa: Gone With the Wind?

On the question of extending the wind production tax credit -- an important issue for Iowans because of the roughly 7,000 jobs tied to the state's wind-energy industry -- the two presidential candidates have made their positions perfectly clear: Obama supports it and Romney does not.

Romney?s stance, however faithful to free-market principles, puts the presumptive GOP nominee at odds not only with Obama, but with his own supporters in the state -- and they wasted little time in conveying their displeasure. Iowa Republican Rep.?Tom Latham?seethed that Romney's position "shows a lack of full understanding of how important the wind energy tax credit is for Iowa and our nation."

Iowa Republicans long ago diagnosed the alternative-energy dilemma: They don't want to be seen as enablers of corporate welfare, but they can't afford to ardently oppose a job-creating industry with high visibility in their state. Navigating this no-win situation, they reached an agreeable compromise: Support temporary tax credits while the industry is still finding its footing, but advocate for the gradual phasing out of federal funding.

Romney's stance is perplexing, to say the least. Here is a politician defined by his ideological pliancy, known for his moderate approach and willingness to find malleable middle ground. Yet faced with an issue that demands a certain flexibility, he has instead pigeon-holed himself into a position that is overwhelmingly unpopular in a critical battleground state. Even if Romney walks back his opposition, he'll face fresh charges of flip-flopping and pandering. It's a lose-lose.

Romney's position is not entirely without support. But in an election that very well could hinge on the Hawkeye State's six electoral votes, the path of least resistance isn't a bad place to be. Read more

-- Tim Alberta

NATIONAL JOURNAL?S PRESIDENTIAL RACE REPORT

For Undecided Voters, It?s the Devil-You-Know Election?NEW!
[National Journal, 8/2/12] ?During two focus groups conducted this week, undecided voters wrestled with the choice ahead of them: Between the devil they know, and the devil they don?t.?

Romney to Unveil Accountability ?Scorecard??
[National Journal, 8/2/12] Romney is set to unveil a ?presidential accountability scorecard? during a campaign event on Thursday as a counter to a study recently released by the Tax Policy Center indicating that Romney?s plan would disproportionately affect middle-class taxpayers. He will use the tool to measure his expected success in office against what he calls Obama?s ?failures.??

Rove, Gillespie Hosting Joint Political Briefing in Aspen
[CNN, 8/2/12] Karl Rove, the head of the Crossroads super PAC, and Romney advisor Ed Gillespie are holding a joint closed-door political briefing with leading GOP donors on Thursday. This comes despite federal election laws prohibiting coordination between campaigns and outside groups.

Romney Spokesman Suggests Obama Campaign Manager Broke The?Law
[BuzzFeed, 8/2/12] In a conference call with reporters, Romney senior advisor Eric Fehrnstrom just stopped short of calling Obama campaign manager Jim Messina a criminal. Discussing the latest controversy surrounding the use of personal email accounts to conduct White House business, Fehrnstrom said in part, ?On its face this appears to be a violation of the law.?

Campaign-Season Vacations are Okay, But Beware of Water Sports
[National Journal, 8/2/12] Democrats who remember their nominee windsurfing his way to defeat in 2004 were thrilled that Romney?s jet skiing played right into their attempts to portray him as the candidate of the wealthy. But National Journal?s George Condon and Sophie Quinton note that the leader of the free world could benefit from some downtime.?

On the Heels of Rocky Foreign Tour, Romney Looks Forward
[CBS, 8/2/12] Back in the U.S. after last week?s rocky foreign tour, Romney is heading to Colorado Thursday to kick off an apparent battleground-state offensive. Both candidates are doubling down on efforts to raise money and woo voters, particularly in a handful of crucial swing states.

Romney?s CEO Style Rankled Mass. Lawmakers
[Associated Press, 8/2/12] Romney?s top-down, corporate management style during his tenure as Massachusetts governor rankled Democrats who overwhelmingly controlled the state House and Senate. Unlike his three GOP predecessors, the politically inexperienced Romney was never at ease in the world of trading favors for votes. How will that figure if he wins the presidency?

Obama Brings ?Middle Class? Tour to nation?s Richest County?
[National Journal, 8/2/12] Obama is bringing his ?middle class tax relief? tour on Thursday to Leesburg, VA., -- which, National Journal?s Beth Reinhard points out, sits in the richest county in the country. It?s a safe bet that Obama?s plan would actually hike taxes for many households there.?

Advisor Draws Attention to Romney?s Mideast Policy
[New York Times, 8/1/12] Dan Senor?s presence in the tight orbit of advisors around the candidate foreshadows a Romney foreign policy that could take a harder line against Iran, embrace Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and move away from being the honest broker in the conflict with the Palestinians.

Mansfield Visit Alters Obama?s Guard Plan
[Columbus Dispatch, 8/2/12] Obama?s ninth visit to Ohio this year was nagged by the irony that Air Force One landed at an airport with a base that his proposed budget has put in jeopardy. But while the GOP mocked the visit, the White House clarified that it does plan to shutter the base and furlough 800 Guard members, as previously reported.

Possible VP Rob Portman Was ?Frustrated? at Bush Budget Office
[The Hill, 8/2/12] In an exclusive interview with The Hill, Ohio Senator Rob Portman, budget director for former President George W. Bush and leading GOP veep contender, said he was ?frustrated? in the high-profile post. The comments indicate that Portman is seeking to keep the unpopular Bush at arm?s length while also not appearing disloyal.

Obama vs. Romney: Who is Fighting For the Middle Class?
[Obama Campaign, 8/2/12] Using a new report from the Tax Policy Center ? which Team Obama has seized as evidence that Romney?s tax plan raises taxes on the middle class while unburdening America?s wealthiest -- the Obama campaign has released an online tax calculator that the average Joe can use to calculate how his taxes would fare under Obama and Romney?s competing plans.

Veepstakes: What if Romney Rolled the Dice?
[Politico, 8/2/12] A wild-card choice is a sign that the campaign is worried about their chances in November, but coming off the bad press from his gaffe-marked foreign trip, Romney needs a VP selection that not only goes smoothly but dominates the narrative ? and one way to ensure that is to pick a running mate who?s been off the beaten path. Politico explores Romney?s options.

Auto Bailout Helps Obama Hold Consistent Lead in Ohio
[The Hill, 8/2/12] In one of the most critical battleground states, Obama holds a small but significant lead that experts credit to his support for the auto bailout and strategy of appealing to blue-collar workers.

For Online Video, Act Before Space Runs Out
[Politico, 8/2/12] The Internet may seem endless, but for one key commodity ? political advertising ? the web is about to run out of room. The limited spots on popular video sites has some ad buyers for campaigns fretting the way they used to over TV and radio space, each fearing they might get shut out.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-chances-iowa-gone-wind-084424036.html

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