Meet the Press with David Gregory (9am ET*, NBC): This week David Gregory will be joined by Newt Gingrich to discuss the results of the Nevada Caucus, and the rest of the campaign calendar. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will discuss the elections, and of course, the Super Bowl.

Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer (10:30am ET*, CBS): This Sunday Bob Schieffer will be joined by Newt Gingrich, and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

This Week with George Stephanopoulos (10:00am ET*, ABC): This week’s guest will be Congressman Ron Paul to discuss his campaign after the Nevada Republican Caucus.

State of the Union with Candy Crowly (9:00am ET*, CNN): Candy will be joined by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, Former House Majority Leader and FreedomWorks Chairman Dick Armey, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers.

(*please check your local listings for show times)

The event was held at 11:00 a.m. CST at the Mayo High School, located at 1420 11^th Avenue SE, Rochester, Minnesota 55904-5306.

The 12-term Congressman from Texas shared his platform of constitutionally-limited government with the audience, which was comprised with people from all ages.

View Full Press Release : http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/02/04/ron-paul-draws-more-than-700-voters-at-first-minnesota-event/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ron-paul-draws-more-than-700-voters-at-first-minnesota-event

By Peter Hamby

Newt Gingrich will stay at South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s house during his visit to the state in early October.  Topics of discussion during his stay will include the Federal budget and labor laws that are of particular relevance to the Palmetto state.

Washington (CNN) - Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will overnight at the South Carolina governor’s mansion next month during a campaign visit to early primary state, a spokesman for Gov. Nikki Haley said Monday.

Each of the Republican candidates are angling for Haley’s endorsement, and Gingrich will be the second candidate to crash at the mansion after Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who has already stayed there twice this year.

Haley has invited all of the candidates to stay at the mansion as they pass through the Palmetto State hunting for votes.

Gingrich and Haley will certainly have much to talk about.

Haley publicly castigated the former House Speaker in May after he called the budget plan crafted by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan “radical change” and “right-wing social engineering.”

Haley told CNN at the time, “When you have a conservative fighting for real change, the last thing we need is a presidential candidate cutting him off at the knees.”

But Gingrich, who has climbed in the polls after a series of debate performances, may have scored some points with the governor since the tumultuous early days of his campaign.

In July, Gingrich was the first GOP candidate to tour the Charleston area Boeing Dreamliner plant at the center of an ongoing dispute between the company and the National Labor Relations Board.

Haley has said the Obama administration’s refusal to intervene in the case and allow the production facility to open is costing the state much-needed jobs.

Both Haley and Gingrich have accused Obama of coddling Democratic-friendly labor unions.

South Carolina, a so-called “right-to-work” state, has an unemployment rate of 10.9 percent.

View Full Press Release : http://www.newt.org/news/newt-stay-south-carolina-governors-mansion

Mitt Romney today announced the support of Minnesota leaders.

“I’m quite proud to have the support of these Minnesota conservative leaders,” said Mitt Romney. “This wide-ranging support shows that my message of a smaller, simpler, and smarter federal government is resonating with Minnesotans as it is with voters across the country. I’m counting on these leaders to help me spread this message in the months to come.”

Announcing his support, Speaker Kurt Zellers said, “Minnesotans simply cannot take four more years of President Obama’s disastrous policies. Mitt Romney is the conservative candidate who has a clear plan to empower small businesses, rebuild the middle class, and create long-lasting economic growth. I am endorsing Mitt because he will work to improve the economy, reduce burdensome regulations and reverse economic policies that expand government rather than private sector job growth.”

Minnesota Elected Officials and Leaders Supporting Mitt Romney:

View Full Press Release : http://www.mittromney.com/news/press/2012/02/mitt-romney-announces-support-minnesota-leaders

Vote Totals:

Michelle Bachmann: 3,723 votes

Herman Cain: 3,217 votes

Newt Gingrich: 480,382 votes

Jon Huntsman: 5,932 votes

Gary Johnson: 1,120 votes

Ron Paul: 105,139 votes

Rick Perry: 6,376 votes

Mitt Romney: 713,237 votes

Rick Santorum: 200,057 votes

Source

As Florida Voters Go to the Polls, It Seems Speaker Gingrich Doesn’t Want to Talk About His 2009 Advocacy for the Obamacare National Mandate:

Weekly Standard: “Gingrich Was Unresponsive When I Asked Him Multiple Times About His Expressed Support For The Concept Of An Individual Mandate As Recently As May 2009…” “The usually gregarious Gingrich did not speak with the press before or after the rally … After shaking hands with supporters following his speech, Gingrich was unresponsive when I asked him multiple times about his expressed support for the concept of an individual mandate as recently as May 2009, which a recently unearthed audio clip reveals.” (Michael Warren, “Smaller Crowd for Newt Before Primary,” The Weekly Standard, 1/31/12)

Earlier Today, Gingrich Provided False and Misleading Information on His Support for the Obamacare Mandate:

Gingrich Claimed His Position Was The Same As The Heritage Foundation And That He “Talked About State Level” Mandates Rather Than A National Mandate. FOX’s BRIAN KILMEADE: “I know in May of 2009 when Obamacare was being hashed out and debated, you seemed to be in favor of the ‘must carry.’ You said that it should either be there or, if you’re an absolute libertarian, we’ll allow you to post a bond instead. What changed your mind, or was that taken out of context?” GINGRICH: “Look, I think the more the Heritage Foundation and others who originally thought this was a good idea looked at it, the more clear it became that what happens is you have government intruding totally into your life, particularly at the federal level. I’ve talked about state level, but at the federal level, once you get Congress able to dictate every single thing you can do, you basically have given up freedom. And that’s why virtually all of us who are conservative have come out against any kind of mandate.” (Fox News’ “Fox Friends,” 1/31/12)

• NEWT’S WRONG: As He Was Praising The Obamacare Mandate, The Heritage Foundation Was Against It. “Today, the Health Policy Consensus Group, a coalition of experts from market-oriented think tanks, released a statement identifying what they consider six policy deal-breakers … All appear in President Obama’s health plan. … A mandate that individuals must purchase insurance. … Sweeping government mandates create a conflict between escalating costs, limited resources and the false guarantee of rich coverage, often triggering price and supply controls.” (“Conservative Alliance Outlines 6 Deal-Killers For National Health Reform,” The Heritage Foundation, 4/1/09)

• NEWT’S WRONG: His Claim That He “Talked About State Level,” Not Federal Level, Doesn’t Hold Up. “Former House speaker Gingrich claimed he had never favored a federal mandate requiring individuals to obtain health insurance – only a state requirement. … Not true. … His support for a federal mandate is of long standing. … If Gingrich was thinking about a state-only mandate, he never said so at the time. And he clearly said ‘all of us’ would be subject to his ‘variant’ of the mandate just last May. We judge that Gingrich is falsifying his own history on this matter.” (“Fact Check: Florida GOP Debate,” USA Today, 1/27/12)

FACT – Gingrich Praised the Obamacare Mandate in 2009, Calling It “the Kind of General Model We’re Going to be Advocating”:

In May 2009, Gingrich Called Obamacare’s National Mandate “The Real Foundation And Most Important Part” Of The Bill, Adding “We Believe That There Should Be ‘Must Carry.’” GINGRICH: “The real foundation and most important part of this is individual rights, responsibilities, and expectation of behavior. … We believe that there should be ‘must carry’ – that is, everybody should either have health insurance or, if you’re an absolute libertarian, we would allow you to post a bond, but we would not allow people to be free riders, failing to insure themselves and then showing up at the emergency room with no means of payment. If you have ‘must carry,’ then the insurance companies have told us that we can have ‘must issue,’ and you will therefore have a system in which you don’t have to worry about cherry-picking and maneuvering. … As we move beyond today’s press conference at the White House, this is the kind of general model we’re going to be advocating.” (Newt Gingrich, Conference Call, “ARRA: Impact On Healthcare Systems,” 5/11/09)

• Click Here to Listen to Gingrich’s Remarks

FACT – Speaker Gingrich Spent Two Decades Advocating for a Federal Mandate:

Gingrich In 1993: “I Am For People, Individuals – Exactly Like Automobile Insurance – Individuals Having Health Insurance And Being Required To Have Health Insurance.” “During the interview, Gregory played a 1993 clip in which Gingrich said, ‘I am for people, individuals – exactly like automobile insurance – individuals having health insurance and being required to have health insurance.’” (Kendra Marr, “Newt Gingrich Walks Back Health Care Mandate Support,” Politico, 5/16/11)

Gingrich, In 2011: “I’ve Said Consistently We Ought To Have Some Requirement That You Either Have Health Insurance Or You Post A Bond…” GINGRICH: “I’ve said consistently we ought to have some requirement that you either have health insurance or you post a bond or in some way you indicate you’re going to be held accountable. …  It’s a variation on [a mandate] … But it’s a system which allows people to have a range of choices which are designed by the economy. … I don’t think having a free rider system in health is any more appropriate than having a free rider system in any other part of our society.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 5/15/11)

Newsmax, In May 2011: Gingrich “Strongly Supports A Federal Mandate Requiring Citizens To Buy Health Insurance.” “Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sunday that he strongly supports a federal mandate requiring citizens to buy health insurance – a position that has been rejected by many Republicans, including several who likely will be running against him for the Republican presidential nomination.” (Tim Collie, “Gingrich Backs Obamacare’s Individual Mandate Requiring Health Insurance,” Newsmax, 5/16/11)

View Full Press Release : http://mittromney.com/news/press/2012/01/speaker-goes-speechless-newt-cant-explain-support-obamacare-mandate

New poll shows Texas Congressman within margin of error to unseat incumbent President

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul remains competitive in a head-to-head matchup against incumbent President Barack Obama, according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll.

Paul garners 46 percent of the vote to Obama’s 49 percent, within the +/- 4 percent margin of error for the survey.  Paul fares better among nationally registered voters than fellow GOP competitors Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.  Paul’s main competitor nationally, Mitt Romney, comes in tied with Obama at 48 percent, meaning Paul and Romney – the only candidates with the resources for a 50-state campaign – are within the error margin for unseating Obama.

“We’ve been saying this has been a two-man race between Ron Paul and Mitt Romney, and this poll is further proof.  The survey also demonstrates Ron Paul’s competitive edge against the sitting President in a general election since Paul is the candidate capable of gaining support from independents and disenfranchised Democrats,” said Ron Paul 2012 National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton.

The results are based on telephone interviews conducted Jan. 27^th and 28^th, with a random sample of 907 registered voters, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

For full poll results and methodology in PDF form, please click here.

This poll follows a January 16^th CNN/ORC Poll showing Paul and Obama in a virtual tie in a general election showdown.  It also follows a CBS Poll from earlier this month showing independent voters’ preference for Paul over Obama by 7 percentage points.

View Full Press Release : http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/01/30/ron-paul-in-close-competition-with-obama-in-latest-poll/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ron-paul-in-close-competition-with-obama-in-latest-poll

They say the culture of an organization is a reflection of its top executive and today’s deplorable behavior against Ron Paul supporter Eddie Dillard in Florida reflects very poorly on Congressman Gingrich.”

LAKE JACKSON, Texas – The Ron Paul 2012 Presidential campaign is requesting an apology and decisive action from Congressman Newt Gingrich and his campaign for abuse the latter organization perpetrated against a Ron Paul supporter.

The incident occurred in the Orlando suburb of Windermere, Florida and involved 29-year-old Ron Paul supporter Eddie Dillard, who was injured during an exchange with the Gingrich campaign.

Mr. Dillard arrived at his polling site, the Winderemere Baptist Church, and noticed a Gingrich supporter holding a Gingrich sign, so to reciprocate he returned to the scene with a Ron Paul sign.  The area he chose was public space but it had been identified by the Gingrich campaign as the very place where Gingrich would be visiting.  As the Gingrich staff moved in, members of the security detail and/or other staff warned Mr. Dillard, telling him to exit from the public space.  When Mr. Dillard exercised his right of free expression by remaining there, simply holding the sign, Gingrich’s campaign team escalated the situation and, noticing Mr. Dillard was wearing flip-flops, dug their heels in his foot and reportedly directed each other to step on Mr. Dillard’s feet.  Mr. Dillard, to be sure, was injured, harassed, and inconvenienced.

Reporters from Yahoo! News were on the scene and covered the story here.

In response to the incident, the Ron Paul Presidential campaign released the following statement.  Below find comments from National Campaign Chairman Jesse Benton:

“They say the culture of an organization is a reflection of its top executive and today’s deplorable behavior against Ron Paul supporter Eddie Dillard in Florida reflects very poorly on Congressman Gingrich.

“I call on Congressman Gingrich to publicly apologize to Mr. Dillard.

“In addition, we ask that those Gingrich campaign staff directly involved in the episode be immediately terminated.

“There is simply no excuse for the type of violent, boorish and abusive behavior demonstrated by Mr. Gingrich’s campaign.  We hope Mr. Gingrich understands this and takes the actions we recommend.”

View Full Press Release : http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/01/31/ron-paul-campaign-calls-on-newt-gingrich-to-apologize-for-his-staff-assault-on-ron-paul-supporter/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ron-paul-campaign-calls-on-newt-gingrich-to-apologize-for-his-staff-assault-on-ron-paul-supporter

“Ending taxes on tips will give workers a pay raise, letting them keep more money to put toward a house or car payment, retirement, or their own and/or their children’s education.” – Ron Paul

HENDERSON, Nevada – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul authored an op-ed in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper.  The piece arguing for an end to federal taxes on gratuities for tips-earning wage earners was published in today’s print and online edition.

There are more than 300,000 service-industry workers in Nevada, according to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.  These workers comprise nearly 30 percent of the entire state workforce, larger than any other sector.

Ron Paul: Stop taxing tips
By Ron Paul

During any presidential election year, taxes are sure to be a large part of the debate. That’s especially true during these tough economic times.

One side argues that high-income earners aren’t taxed enough and advocates higher taxes on this group to balance our budget and get our economy moving.

The other side argues that taxes are too high and advocates for lower taxes on businesses, high-income earners and virtually all Americans as a way to stimulate our economy.

But there’s one sector of American workers who are often overlooked by both sides during the never-ending debate on taxes.

That’s service-industry workers, who, despite often being underpaid and overworked, are always overtaxed.

According to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, there are more than 300,000 service-industry workers in Nevada — nearly 30 percent of the entire state workforce, which is larger than any other sector.

The truth is the majority of service-industry workers are paid low hourly wages and are expected to earn the rest of their income from tips. However, unlike regular wages, a service-sector employee usually has no guarantee of, or legal right to, a tip. Instead, the amount of a tip usually depends on how well an employee satisfies a client. But even good service doesn’t always guarantee a tip — especially during tough economic times.

Not only that, but tips provide a substantial portion of the income of many service-sector employees, many of whom are young people just trying to make a few extra dollars to get through school or single parents often balancing two jobs while trying to make enough to raise a family.

That’s why it’s an outrage that waiters, waitresses and other service-sector employees have to pay taxes on the tips they earn. And to add insult to injury, the IRS makes an estimate of how much service-sector workers will make in tips and taxes them on it even if the taxpayer did not actually earn as much as the IRS estimate!

This is a serious problem that must be addressed, but I’m the only candidate running for president who is working hard to fix this problem.

In fact, I’ve introduced the Tax Free Tips Act in Congress, which would exempt tips from federal income and payroll taxes, meaning no more taxes on tips. That’s because I understand ending taxes on tips will give these workers a pay raise, letting them keep more money to put toward things like a house or car payment, their retirement, or their own and/or their children’s education.

If elected president, I will end this injustice on service-industry workers all across our nation by abolishing all taxes on tips once and for all.

Helping Americans improve themselves by reducing their taxes will make our country — and our economy — stronger. I think that’s something we all agree must happen if we are to fix our economy and get America back on track.

To read the op-ed online in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, please click here.

As a first basic step, those wanting to join the active “Hospitality Workers for Ron Paul” nationwide coalition should visit the official web page by clicking here.  Prospective members should also send an email tonvcoalitions@ronpaul2012.com, writing the coalition name in the subject line.

View Full Press Release : http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/01/31/in-case-you-missed-it-ron-paul-authors-tax-free-tips-op-ed-in-the-las-vegas-sun/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=in-case-you-missed-it-ron-paul-authors-tax-free-tips-op-ed-in-the-las-vegas-sun

FALMOUTH, Maine – 2012 Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul drew a crowd of 1,000 supporters in Freeport, Maine today, demonstrating his popularity among voters in the crucial Pine Tree State.  The crowd gathered expressly for the 12-term Congressman from Texas as he spoke from the balcony of Linda Bean’s Maine Kitchen Topside Tavern at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Most notably, the crowd left the comfort of their homes, braving near-freezing temperatures to hear Dr. Paul’s message.  This contrasts with less inspiring candidates struggling with diminished interest including crowd size in balmy Florida.  Event organizers noted that Dr. Paul touted provisions of his path-breaking ‘Plan to Restore America’ and conversed supporters and undecided Maine voters.

View Full Press Release : http://www.ronpaul2012.com/2012/01/28/1000-mainers-greet-ron-paul-at-freeport-event/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=1000-mainers-greet-ron-paul-at-freeport-event