Gingrich makes play for evangelicals, tea partiers (AP)

LUTZ, Fla. ? Facing the possibility of a stinging defeat, Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich combined sharp attacks on Mitt Romney with unspoken appeals for support among the state's evangelicals on Sunday, two days before the pivotal Florida primary.

In an unusual commitment of campaign time, the former House speaker attended a pair of Baptist worship services, where he sat in a pew, accompanied by his wife, Callista, and made no remarks.

In between a morning stop at a megachurch in the Tampa area and an evening visit to a church in Jacksonville, Gingrich unleashed an attack on Romney as a "pro-abortion, pro-gun control, pro-tax increase liberal" who could not be trusted to bring conservative values to the White House.

He also drew rousing cheers from a large crowd, numbered in the thousands, at a retirement community, where a Tea Party Express bus rolled slowly behind the platform where he was speaking.

Increasingly, Gingrich has reached out to evangelicals and tea party advocates as the Florida primary approaches, touting an endorsement from campaign dropout Herman Cain as well as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's recent accusation that the establishment was trying to "crucify" him.

Standing outside the First Jacksonville Baptist church as dusk fell, Kurt Kelly, chairman of Florida Faith Leaders for Newt Gingrich, said the candidate held a midweek conference call with an estimated 1,000 evangelical pastors around the state.

He said the goal of the call was to solidify support as much as possible behind Gingrich, at the expense of rival contender Rick Santorum, who is running a poor third in the pre-primary polls in the state.

In the course of the conversation, Kelly said, Gingrich "shared his faith, shared his vision and shared his past."

Kelly did not expand on his reference to Gingrich's past, although the former speaker has been married three times.

He said one of the other pastors on the call questioned Gingrich further, and the candidate "showed a contrite heart and showed true confession and true repentance."

Gingrich was anything but repentant in his remarks about Romney during the day.

During a pair of Sunday morning television interviews, he said his chief rival had adopted a "basic policy of carpet-bombing his opponent."

One of the ads being run by Romney suggests that Gingrich is exaggerating his ties to Ronald Reagan. Gingrich chafed at that, noting that the former president's son Michael was joining him on the campaign trail Monday "to prove to everybody that I am the heir to the Reagan movement, not some liberal from Massachusetts."

Cain, a tea party favorite, will also appear with Gingrich on Monday.

At a large rally Sunday at The Villages, a sprawling retirement community in central Florida, Gingrich accused Democratic President Barack Obama of coddling foreign leaders like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

"I believe we need to be stronger than our potential enemies," Gingrich told the crowd. "The president lives in a fantasy world where there are no enemies, there are just misguided people with whom he has not yet had coffee."

He said Chavez "deliberately, cynically and insultingly gave him an anti-American book and Obama didn't have a clue that he'd been insulted."

He said the Obama administration should be focused on Ahmadinejad's "pledge to wipe out Israel and drive America out of the Middle East."

"But if I were a left-wing Harvard law graduate surrounded by really clever left-wing academics I would know that this was really a sign that (Ahmadinejad) probably had a bad childhood," Gingrich said.

He described Obama's approach to Ahmadinejad as, "If only we could unblock him we could be closer to him and we could be friends together."

Gingrich, who served in the House for two decades, also made a populist pitch as a Washington outsider. He said the GOP's "old establishment" is trying to block his path to nomination.

"It's time that someone stood up for hard-working, taxpaying Americans and said, `Enough,'" Gingrich said. "And if that makes the old order uncomfortable, my answer is, `Good.'"

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_el_pr/us_gingrich

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Social Media for Business | The Big Picture

Comments

Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.

1. egockel Says:
   January 29th, 2012 at 9:46 pm

   I?m sorry, but where in this info graphic does it exactly tell you ?how to harness the power of Social Media?? It?s pretty, but doesn?t exactly tell me how to do this for my business. And, each vertical is different (say, automotive manufacturers vs. financial services)

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Source: http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/01/social-media-for-business/

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Myanmar's Suu Kyi making first campaign tour (AP)

DAWEI, Myanmar ? Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi made her first campaign tour for parliament Sunday in Myanmar's countryside, advancing a bid that shows how quickly and dramatically politics is changing in this long-repressed Southeast Asian nation.

Thousands of cheering supporters crowded the airport to greet Suu Kyi in the southern town of Dawei and lined the roads shouting: "Long Live Daw Aung San Suu Kyi!" "Daw" is a title of respect in Myanmar.

Many waved bouquets of flowers, and some hoisted babies on their shoulders to glimpse the Nobel Peace laureate, who is revered as Myanmar's icon for democracy. Banners with pictures of Suu Kyi decorated the town.

"People had been afraid to discuss politics for so long," said Aung Zaw Hein, an environmental activist. "Now that she's visiting, the political spirit of people has been awakened."

Suu Kyi, 66, has devoted much of her life to the struggle against authoritarian rule, but spent 15 of the past 23 years under house arrest and has never held elected office. If she wins, Suu Kyi will have limited power in the legislature, which remains dominated by the military and the ruling party, but victory would be highly symbolic and give the longtime political prisoner a voice in government for the first time.

The one-day campaign stop in Dawei follows a series of unprecedented reforms enacted by the nominally civilian government that took over when a military junta ceded power last year. The government has released hundreds of political prisoners, reached cease-fire deals with ethnic rebels, increased press freedoms and eased censorship laws.

The April 1 by-election is being held to fill 48 seats in the lower house of parliament that were vacated after lawmakers were appointed to the Cabinet and other posts last year.

Her party boycotted the last vote in 2010, but registered earlier this month for by-elections after authorities amended electoral laws, enabling her party to legally participate.

The Election Commission must still accept Suu Kyi's candidacy. A ruling is expected in February.

Suu Kyi is hoping to run for representative for the constituency of Kawhmu, a poor district just south of Yangon where villagers' livelihoods were devastated by Cyclone Nargis in 2008.

The vote is being closely watched at home and abroad because it is seen as a crucial test of the regime's commitment to change.

Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her nonviolent struggle for democracy, has rarely traveled over the last two decades outside Yangon, the country's main city.

Although she conducted one successful day of rallies in two small towns north of Yangon last August, a previous political tour to greet supporters in 2003 sparked a bloody ambush on her convoy that saw her forcibly confined to house arrest at her lakeside home.

Suu Kyi was finally released from house arrest in late 2010, just days after the country's military rulers organized elections widely viewed as neither free nor fair.

In Dawei, a coastal town south of Yangon, Suu Kyi will campaign on behalf of another candidate running for a parliament seat, party spokesman Nyan Win said.

She will make similar campaign trips to other Burmese towns, including the country's second city, Mandalay, in early February before campaigning for her own seat, Nyan Win said.

In Dawei, Suu Kyi will meet party supporters and conduct rallies. The town is home to activists who recently helped persuade the government to ditch construction of a 4,000-megawatt coal-fired power plant over environmental concerns.

A 400-megawatt coal plant is still planned, however, because it will be needed to fuel a massive industrial complex project that includes construction of a deep sea port, a steel mill and a petrochemical plant. The project also includes railroads and highways that will connect Burma's coast directly to Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120129/ap_on_re_as/as_myanmar_suu_kyi

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Video: Rough sea stalls ship recovery

Bad weather is hampering the recovery efforts at the site the capsized cruise ship in Giglio, Italy. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.

>> start in italy for you where rough seas are delaying recovery and salvage operations at the site of the cruise ship disaster there. nbc's michelle kosinski is in giglio with the very latest for us. michelle, good morning.

>> reporter: good morning, thomas. this is exactly what searchers did not want to happen at this stage. bad weather , in the form of big waves. you can see them around the ship, crashing into it today. and actually causing it to move, to sink deeper, at the rate of about a centimeter an hour. i know that doesn't sound like much. we're talking about a 1,000 foot long cruise ship here but that is enough instability to make things dangerous for divers and to force them out of the water today. both in their quest to find more of the missing victims, and in their attempt to remove all of the fuel on board. this is a big problem for them. more of a delay, although yesterday divers were able to recover the body of the ship's young peruvian cocktail waitress found in a submerged deck where people were told to wait to be rescued. thomas?

>> nbc's michelle kosinski in italy for us. michelle, thank you.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/46180468/

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Boko Haram leader tape threatens Nigeria forces (Reuters)

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) ? In an audio tape posted on the Internet, the purported leader of the violent Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram threatened to kill more security personnel and kidnap their families, and accused U.S. President Barack Obama of waging war on Islam.

In the 45-minute tape released on Thursday, a man's voice in the main northern Hausa language claimed to be Abubakar Shekau. He said President Goodluck Jonathan would fail to stop their insurgency.

Boko Haram's attacks have become more sophisticated and deadly in recent weeks in Africa's top oil producer. A series of gun and bomb attacks killed 186 people in Nigeria's second city of Kano last Friday.

"We were responsible for the attack in Kano, I gave the order and I will do it again and again. Allah gives us victory," the voice said.

If confirmed as authentic, the second tape in just under three weeks by Shekau would suggest he wants to use to media to establish his authority over the group, security sources said.

Shekau is said to have taken over control of Boko Haram, which wants sharia law more widely applied across Nigeria, after the sect's founder Mohammed Yusuf was killed in police custody in 2009 following an uprising in which 700 people were killed.

However, security experts say it is unclear whether Boko Haram really has a unified leadership.

Boko Haram, a movement loosely modeled on the Afghan Taliban whose name translates from the northern Hausa language as "Western education is sinful," has been behind almost daily killings in its home base in the largely Muslim northeast, and occasionally in the capital Abuja.

The Kano attack was their deadliest strike yet.

"We attacked the securities base because they were arresting our members and torturing our wives and children. They should know they have families too, we can abduct them. We have what it takes to do anything we want," the voice on the tape said.

But he denied responsibility for the civilian casualties, which police said made up 150 of the deaths.

"We never kill ordinary people, rather we protect them. It is the army that rushed to the press to say we are the ones killing civilians. We are not fighting civilians. We only kill soldiers, police and other security agencies," he said.

In August last year, the sect carried out a suicide car bombing of the United Nations headquarters in the capital Abuja that killed 24 people. On Christmas Day it masterminded coordinated explosions against Christians, including one at a church near Abuja that killed at least 37 people.

In a previous video tape on January 11, Shekau defended attacks against Christians.

President Jonathan told Reuters on Thursday that Boko Haram had made contact with other jihadist groups operating in the region, echoing views by security experts that AQIM has trained and supported some Boko Haram militants, though its interests remain local.

He challenged the group to identify themselves and state their demands as a basis for talks.

The tape hinted that Boko Haram was part of a global jihad against Western interests.

"In America, from former President George Bush to Obama, the Americans have always been fighting and destroying Islam," he said. "They have tagged us terrorists and they are paying for it. It is the same in Nigeria, and we will resist."

(Writing by Tim Cocks)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120127/wl_nm/us_nigeria_bokoharam_tape

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Obama urges Congress to act in election year (AP)

CAMBRIDGE, Md. ? President Barack Obama rallied House Democrats for an election-year fight, urging them to work with Republicans if they show some willingness to put politics aside but telling the rank and file to call them out if they stand in the way.

Addressing Democrats on the final day of their three-day annual retreat, Obama outlined the political stakes over the next few months as congressional Democrats try to push his agenda in the face of Republican opposition, the GOP choses its nominee and signs of recovery in a fragile economy go a long way to determining his re-election chances and the party's fate.

Obama said Democrats should seize the opportunity "whenever there is a possibility that the other side is putting some politics aside for just a nanosecond in order to get something done for the American people, we've got to be right there ready to meet them," the president told the sometimes raucous crowd.

However, "where they obstruct, where they're unwilling to act, where they're more interested in party than they are in country, more interested in the next election than the next generation, then we've got to call them out on it," the president said. "We've got to push. We can't wait; we can't be held back."

Coming off a three-day tour to promote his State of the Union message, Obama promised a "robust debate about whose vision is more promising" when Republicans choose their nominee.

On a day when reports showed the economy picking up late in 2011 but still considered "fragile" by the White House, Obama told Democrats wondering about their re-election prospects: "It's going to be a tough election because a lot of people are still hurting out there and a lot of people have lost faith generally about the capacity of Washington to get anything done."

House Republicans, who held their retreat in Baltimore last week, have repeatedly said the election will be a referendum on Obama's policies, especially his handling of the economy.

The president acknowledged that Democrats have embraced parts of his agenda when it was politically difficult and in some cases costly. The party took a drubbing in the midterm elections, losing control of the House and seeing their ranks diminished in the Senate.

And despite some past clashes with House Democrats over his willingness to compromise with Republicans, Obama was warmly received and was introduced as "our champion" by Rep. John Larson of Connecticut.

The president returned the warmth with a vote of confidence that Democrats would win back the House in November, making a nod to their leader as "soon-to-be once-again Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi."

"I believe in you guys. You guys have had my back through some very tough times," said the president, who received a small gift ? a DVD of House Democrats singing Rev. Al Green's "Let's Stay Together."

Last week, at a fundraiser at the Apollo Theater in New York, Obama stood on the stage and crooned a line from the Green classic.

Democrats were upbeat at their three-day session, energized by Obama's State of the Union address and its populist themes as well as recent polls showing more Americans say the country is on the right track and approve of Obama's handling of the economy. Divisions in the Republican ranks that were on full display last year in the fight over extending the payroll tax cut and the bitter battle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich for the GOP presidential nomination also lifted Democratic spirits.

But the relationship with the White House hasn't always been cordial. Vice President Joe Biden, who addressed the Democrats prior to Obama's speech, described some of the rough patches.

He noted that several members in the room were mad at him in December 2010 after Obama negotiated an extension of President George W. Bush's tax cuts over the objections of some House Democrats. Last year, frustrated Democrats complained the Obama gave away too much in negotiating a spending bill and an agreement to raise the government's borrowing authority.

Biden said Pelosi told him at the last conference to "get tough. Enough is enough." He said the "message was heard. The message was heard. And I think we've delivered."

Biden said Democrats would reclaim the House and he would help candidates in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, New Hampshire and Florida. Those states also are critical to Obama's hopes of winning another term.

"We cannot succeed unless you all come back," Biden told House Democrats.

The vice president was more pointed in his political remarks than Obama and called out some Republicans by name. He said the American people will reject GOP unwillingness to compromise and its blatant determination to make Obama a one-term president.

Of the presidential candidates, Biden said Romney's criticism of the auto bailout and a host of positions stated by rival Newt Gingrich on government intervention will create a clear contrast for voters.

"These guys are helping us by saying what they believe," Biden said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120128/ap_on_go_co/us_house_democrats

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Putin slams Washington: 'Russia won?t tolerate external interference'

As the Russian presidential campaign gets under way, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin took a another swing at the US, criticising Washington of seeking vassals rather than allies.

?The US wants to control everything, sometimes I get the impression that the US doesn?t need allies, it needs vassals,? Putin told reporters on 25 January in the Siberian town of Tomsk. ?They take decisions unilaterally on key questions.?

Putin, who?s bidding for a new six-year term in the Kremlin in elections to be held on 4 March, said he would not tolerate external interference.

?The leadership in Moscow is much more uncertain about just what?s going to happen politically in terms of the process even if they are sure of the outcome,? James Collins, who was the US ambassador to Russia from 1997 to 2001, told New Europe, referring to the presidential election in March that Putin is heavily favoured to win.

Collins, who is now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said late on 26 January by phone from Washington DC that the political season in Moscow is making Russian political leaders particularly sensitive, especially after the December parliamentary elections, the demonstrations and public manifestations of opposition to the current government.

?Until they get through that process I expect - just like in the United States - you?ll see political rhetoric and probably some statements that people will wish were not made, if you are on the other side. But frankly I think in the end of ends we?ll see the process through and then we?ll see what the new government and the new Putin administration later in this year decides it?s going to do with the United States,? Collins said.

Meanwhile, the new US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul rejected as ?nonsense? accusations by a top lawmaker in Putin?s United Russia party, Andrei Isayev that he?s trying to encourage a revolution. In the early days of the administration of US President Barack Obama, McFaul made his mark as the architect of the so-called ?reset? of relations with Russia. Now Obama sent him to Russia to continue this policy of seeking to improve ties.

But when McFaul met with opposition activists earlier in January, within days of taking up his appointment, he annoyed the Kremlin. Those contacts with the Russian opposition are part of official US policy to spread democratic values around the world, Kommersant newspaper quoted McFaul in an interview. ?The point of the reset isn?t to prepare a revolution,? McFaul said. ?That?s not what we are doing.?

McFaul also rejected Isayev?s contention that he?s an expert in Orange Revolutions, referring to popular upheavals in the former Soviet nations of Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. ?I?m an academic, a political scientist and a sociologist, not a professional revolutionary,? McFaul said.

One of his predecessors, Collins, dismissed complaints inside the Kremlin that the US is trying to stir up trouble, supporting protests that have eroded Putin's popularity. ?I personally think there is absolutely no justification for all this idea that America is interfering in their political process,? Collins told New Europe.

?The response to Mike McFaul?s first days and other things like these statements are frankly political rhetoric. Any ambassador and any American embassy over decades has met with all dimensions of Russian society and they have done it in political times and non-political times. The idea that somehow it?s not an ambassador?s job to be in touch and engaged with all elements of the political spectrum in the Russian Federation is simply saying he shouldn?t do his job,? Collins said.

?They certainly cannot be surprised that the ambassador to the Russian Federation has contacts with people other than government officials. They?ve been doing it for decades and they will continue to do it so I find all that around Mike McFaul?s arrival to be a bit surprising.?

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told reporters that McFaul should understand that he is working in Russia, not in the US. ?I hope that he [McFaul] will do a good job but of course he needs to realise that he is working in the Russian Federation, not in the United States of America, and that our country has its specifics, just as any ambassador has his mandate,? he said.

Russia-US relations, let alone Medvedev-Obama relations, have not been affected, the Russian president said. ?There?s not been a worsening in our interstate relations or in our personal relations [with Obama],? he said.

Collins said that despite the headline-grabbing political rhetoric the US and Russia want to see the relationship and the ?reset? continue. He noted that he doesn?t expect US-Russian relations to backtrack once Putin replaces Medvedev, who spearheaded efforts to improve relations with the US.

?I have presumed all along that you did not have a policy over the last three and a half years from Mr Medvedev without Mr Putin being a part of it,? Collins said, adding that the efforts to improve US-Russian relations over the last three years represent the work of both the Russian and the American governments.

However, Collins would not make any predictions. ?We have to wait to see once the Russian leadership is through this electoral process - and I do expect Mr Putin to be president however that is done in one or two rounds - what will the policy of the new government be,? he said.

?It?s rather hard to see how Russian interests would change radically in the coming year. There are certain things that we know are issues between Russia and the United States: missile defence being one. We have not moved that problem too much closer to resolution, but we are co-operating in Afghanistan. I think there is no reason that we won?t see that continue. I don?t think the basic interests have changed,? Collins said.

The two countries have also disagreed over the NATO military campaign that led to the overthrow of Libya?s Muammar Qaddafi and US-led attempts to censure Syria at the United Nations for its crackdown on anti-government unrest, which Russia says is part of another attempt at regime change. Russian has also slammed US plans to impose sanctions against Iran, saying that they would disrupt talks on Tehran nuclear programme.

Collins said there isn?t any indication from the Obama administration that they are changing their approach to Russian policy in any significant way. ?After all Mike McFaul is in many ways intimately involved in the development of that policy and has been for the last three and a half years. He?s close to the president [Obama]. The president sent him there because he represents his policy. I don?t really see there is reason to think there is movement away from Russia. There are all sorts of indications for instance in Washington that the administration hopes to see the Jackson-Vanick issue resolved fairly early this year and that?s part of the WTO (World Trade Organisation) accession.

"So I don?t see that they?re moving away from the areas of co-operation they have had. At the same time, I don?t think they have turned a blind eye to the areas where we had differences,? Collins concluded.

Source: http://www.neurope.eu/article/putin-slams-washington-russia-won-t-tolerate-external-interference

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Pentagon: Army, Marines to shrink as budget slows (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Pentagon outlined a plan Thursday for slowing the growth of military spending, including cutting the size of the Army and Marine Corps, retiring older planes and trimming war costs. It drew quick criticism from Republicans, signaling the difficulty of scaling back defense budgets in an election year.

The changes Defense Secretary Leon Panetta described at a news conference are numerous but hardly dramatic. They aim to save money by delaying some big-ticket weapons like a next-generation nuclear-armed submarine, but the basic shape and structure of the military remains the same.

The Army would shrink from a peak of 570,000 to 490,000 within five years, and the Marines would drop by 20,000, to 182,000. Those are considerable declines, but both services will still be slightly larger than on 9/11, before they began a decade of war. Both will keep their footholds abroad, although the Army will decrease its presence in Europe and the Marines plan to increase theirs in Asia.

Panetta said the administration will ask Congress for $525 billion to run the Pentagon in 2013 ? $6 billion less than the current budget. War costs, which are not considered part of the base budget, would decline from $115 billion to $88 billion, reflecting the completion of the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

The base budget would then increase in each year of the Pentagon's five-year plan, reaching $567 billion in 2017. A year ago the Pentagon had projected 2017 spending to reach $622 billion. The Pentagon counts those reductions in projected future spending as "defense savings."

When Obama took office in January 2009 the Pentagon's base budget was $513 billion. In 2001 it was $297 billion.

Under a budget deficit-cutting deal Congress made last summer, the Pentagon is committed to reducing projected spending by $487 billion over the next 10 years. The plan Panetta presented Thursday covers the first five years of that span and would cut a cumulative total of $259 billion in planned spending.

"We believe this is a balanced and complete package," Panetta said.

In a bid to pre-empt election-year Republican criticism, Panetta said the plan begins to shift the Pentagon's focus from the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to future challenges in Asia, the Mideast and in cyberspace. More special operations forces like the Navy SEALs who killed Osama bin Laden will be available around the world, he said, and the Pentagon will stress improvements in cyberdefenses.

Republicans were quick to pounce on the proposed Army and Marine Corps reductions.

"These cuts reflect President Obama's vision of an America that is weakened, not strengthened, by our men and women in uniform," said Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

McKeon voted for the bill last August that established the requirement for $487 billion in defense savings over five years.

"Taking us back to a pre-9/11 military force structure places our country in grave danger," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee that will hold hearings on the Pentagon budget plan.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said the Panetta plan "ignores the lessons of history." He said it provides for a military that is "too small to respond effectively to events that may unfold over the next few years."

The military's top general, however, defended the administration's approach. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he is convinced that the risks raised by cutting the size of the military are manageable. He said failing to make these changes would have meant even bigger risks.

"This budget is a first step ? it's a down payment ? as we transition from an emphasis on today's wars to preparing for future challenges," he said, adding, "This budget does not lead to a military in decline."

Among other details Panetta disclosed:

--The Air Force would retire some older planes including about two dozen C-5A cargo aircraft and 65 of its oldest C-130 cargo planes.

-- The Navy would keep a fleet of 11 aircraft carriers but retire seven cruisers earlier than planned. It also would delay purchase of some other ships, including a new Virginia-class submarine.

--Purchase of F-35 stealth fighter jets, to be fielded by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, would be slowed.

--Current plans for building a new generation of submarines that carry long-range nuclear missiles would be delayed by two years. The current fleet of nuclear-capable bombers and land-based nuclear missiles would be left unchanged.

--Military pay raises will remain on track until 2015, when the pace of increase will be slowed by an undetermined amount.

--Obama will ask Congress to approve a new round of domestic base closures, although the timing of this was left vague and there is little chance that lawmakers would agree to this in a presidential election year.

The defense spending plan is scheduled to be submitted to Congress as part of the administration's full 2013 budget on Feb. 13.

The defense budget is being reshaped in the midst of a presidential contest in which Obama seeks to portray himself as a forward-looking commander in chief focusing on new security threats. Republicans want to cast him as weak on defense.

Obama has highlighted his national security successes ? the killing of bin Laden, the death of other senior al-Qaida leaders and the demise of Libya's Moammar Gadhafi ? to counter Republican criticism. He also has emphasized the completion of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq and the start of a drawdown in Afghanistan as turning points that offer new opportunities to scale back defense spending.

But several congressional Republicans see a political opening in challenging the reductions in projected military spending that the GOP and Obama agreed to last summer as part of a deal to raise the nation's borrowing authority. They've echoed Obama's potential presidential rivals Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, who plead for fiscal austerity but contend that sizable cuts would gut the military.

___

Associated Press writers Donna Cassata, Lolita C. Baldor and Kimberly Dozier contributed to this report.

___

Robert Burns can be reached on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/robertburnsAP

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_defense_budget

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Somali captors move US hostage after SEAL raid

This combination photo made from undated images provided by the Danish Refugee Council shows Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, left, and American Jessica Buchanan. U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime raid Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 and freed the two hostages while killing nine pirates, officials and a pirate source said. (AP Photo/Danish Refugee Council)

This combination photo made from undated images provided by the Danish Refugee Council shows Dane Poul Hagen Thisted, left, and American Jessica Buchanan. U.S. military forces flew into Somalia in a nighttime raid Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012 and freed the two hostages while killing nine pirates, officials and a pirate source said. (AP Photo/Danish Refugee Council)

Map locates area around the town of Adado, Somalia, where two hostages were rescued during a helicopter raid.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) ? Pirates moved an American hostage at least three times in 24 hours and threatened Thursday to kill him after U.S. Navy SEALs rescued an American and a Dane in a bold, dark-of-night raid that raises questions about whether other Western captives are now in greater danger.

"If they try again, we will all die together," warned Hassan Abdi, a Somali pirate connected to the gang holding the American, who was kidnapped Saturday in northern Somalia.

"It's difficult to hold U.S. hostages, because it's a game of chance: die or get huge money. But we shall stick with our plans and will never release him until we get a ransom," Abdi said.

U.S. Navy SEALs parachuted into Somalia early Wednesday and hiked to where captors were holding 32-year-old American Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted, a 60-year-old Dane. A shootout ensued and nine captors were killed. Buchanan, Thisted and the U.S. troops were all unharmed. The two aid workers had been kidnapped by gunmen in October while working on demining projects for the Danish Refugee Council.

Buchanan and Thisted were flown to the U.S. Naval Air Base at Sigonella on the Italian island of Sicily to undergo medical screenings and other evaluations before heading home, a U.S. defense official said. Buchanan's family was meeting her at the base, which is the hub of U.S. Navy air operations in the Mediterranean.

The U.S. government said the raid was prompted by Buchanan's deteriorating health. An ailing Frenchwoman kidnapped by Somali gunmen died in captivity last year after not having access to her medication.

In the aftermath of Wednesday's rescue, the gang holding the American kidnapped in the northern town of Galkayo have moved him three times, Abdi said.

"Holding hostages in one place is unlikely now because we are the next target," he told The Associated Press by telephone.

He also expressed concern that the U.S. has pirate informants.

"It wasn't just a hit-and-run operation, but long planned with the help of insiders among us," Abdi said, noting that the Americans struck at a time when the pirates were least on their guard.

U.S. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said U.S. officials have been in contact with the family of the latest American kidnapping victim.

"We are also working with our contacts in Kenya and in Somalia to try to get more information," Nuland told reporters in Washington.

"Obviously we condemn kidnapping of any kind and call for the immediate release of the victims ? any victims. We also would note that our travel warning for Somalia does caution U.S. citizens about the risk of travel."

Other hostages held in Somalia include a British tourist and two Spanish aid workers seized in neighboring Kenya, a French military adviser and 155 sailors of various nationalities hijacked by pirates at sea.

The aid group Doctors Without Borders, known as Medecins Sans Frontieres, employed the two Spanish women. The group said it was pleased that Buchanan and Thisted were freed and was seeking the release of its workers, Montserrat Serra and Blanca Theibaut. It hinted, though, that it views military raids as risky.

"MSF strongly favors the nonviolent resolution of such cases, as the use of force endangers the lives of the hostages and may result in the tragic loss of human lives," the group said. "We call upon the Somali population, especially the local authorities in control of the areas where the two are held, to do everything in their power to assist in their safe release."

It's not always clear what group is holding a captive in Somalia, and hostages have sometimes been sold from one gang to another. Captives can be held for long stretches: Two journalists from Canada and Australia were held for 15 months before being released in 2009, and the French military adviser has been missing for more than two years.

The security community is divided over whether the U.S. raid would make life more difficult for the other captives or whether the killings of the nine captors might make pirates think twice about launching future operations, a Western official in Kenya said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

On Wednesday evening, hours after the U.S. military raid, the gang holding the American hostage started circulating false rumors that they had executed him.

Another security official who has years of experience in the region said it was likely the men holding the American would move him onto a ship with other foreign hostages, because ships were easier to defend and planning rescue operations is more complicated when hostages from other countries are involved.

At least one pirate agreed with his analysis.

"I think land captivity is going to end now. Sea is much safer," pirate Mohamed Nur said by phone from the coastal town of Hobyo. "Even ships are not very safe, but you can at least hit back and resist."

Americans have been captured by Somali pirate gangs before. In 2009, the cargo vessel Maersk Alabama was briefly hijacked before pirates took to the lifeboat with the ship's captain, who was rescued after Navy sharpshooters killed the pirates.

But in a sign that pirates are getting increasingly violent ? and perhaps jittery ? four Americans onboard a hijacked yacht were killed last February. It's still unclear why the hostages were shot.

Several senior pirates condemned Wednesday's U.S. raid, which was authorized by President Barack Obama, and at least one warned that other U.S. hostages might suffer as a result.

"They send hit squads and kill all they want, so there is no way we will care for their (hostages) while they are killing us. They will see the aftereffects and reap the results of their actions," said Bile Hussein, a Somali pirate commander.

A spokesman for Somalia's U.N.-backed government said the pirates got what they deserved.

"Pirates have no place in our society," Abdirahman Omar Osman told the AP. "This is a huge and unforgettable lesson for them."

___

Associated Press writers Jason Straziuso and Katharine Houreld in Nairobi, Kenya, and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Katharine Houreld at http://twitter.com/khoureld

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-26-AF-Somalia-Raid/id-e9c7a6b4f0784d92a939ffd0d765a529

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New Weather Channel chief looks to expand overseas (AP)

NEW YORK ? The Weather Channel has a new chief executive, and he's forecasting expansion overseas.

The Weather Channel Co. said Tuesday it was appointing veteran digital executive David Kenny as its new chairman and chief executive. Kenny succeeds Mike Kelly, who will be a special adviser to the company.

Kenny is on Yahoo's board of directors and most recently has been president of Akamai, a cloud platform serving mobile and Internet users.

He said he'd like to see the company move more swiftly to establish its websites and mobile applications in overseas market where it is now a small player. That takes precedence over trying to establish a television presence overseas, he said.

The U.S. television network currently has two hours of weather-related reality programming in prime time ? high seas rescues and the like ? that supplement the live weather coverage it airs at most other times. Expect that direction to continue.

"There will be a real focus on programming," Kenny said. "The television channel itself will have more room for long-form (programming) given that we have other ways of giving information about the weather."

The Weather Channel is owned by a consortium of Bain Capital, The Blackstone Group and NBC Universal.

The consortium, in a statement, said Kenny "has a deep understanding of the TV and digital business, and he has the leadership experience and vision to drive global initiatives across all platforms."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_en_tv/us_tv_weather_channel

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Giffords says goodbye with a plea for civility (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The applause rolled through the big chamber, growing ever louder as hundreds of Republicans and Democrats suddenly realized Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was back in the House. But this time she had come to say goodbye.

Fellow lawmakers gave her a fitting send-off: cheers, hugs, a cascade of tributes and plenty of tears in a rare moment of political unity.

A year since that fateful Saturday morning when Giffords was severely wounded during a shooting rampage in her home district, the Arizona congresswoman resigned on Wednesday with a plea for civility ? and a hint that she'll be back on the national stage. For now, the 41-year-old said, her movements and speech still halting, she needs to focus on her recovery.

For all the kind words showered on her, Giffords reflected in her resignation letter about a level of respect that seems like an aberration these days in a bitterly divided Washington.

In her five years in Congress, she said, "Always I fought for what I thought was right. But never did I question the character of those with whom I disagreed. Never did I let pass an opportunity to join hands with someone just because he or she held different ideals."

Said Republican Rep. Ted Poe of Texas in the first of many tributes: "Gabby is the spirit of bipartisanship that we should all learn from."

Giffords' friend Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., became emotional before reading Giffords' resignation letter in the well of the House. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., held Giffords' hand. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, cried after Giffords slowly made her way to the podium and handed him the envelope with her resignation letter.

Last January, a gunman opened fire at Giffords' "Congress on Your Corner" event in Tucson, killing six people, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge and wounding 13, including Giffords who suffered a gunshot wound to her head. She has spent the past year recovering, showing up in the House just once last August to vote on raising the nation's borrowing authority.

That appearance stirred speculation about her political future and whether she would seek another term or even pursue an open Senate seat.

Giffords put that talk to rest on Sunday, announcing in a Web video that she would resign this week. On Monday, she met with survivors of the shootings in Arizona, , finishing the event that she had started outside a supermarket. On Tuesday night, she received thunderous applause and a hug from President Barack Obama at his State of the Union address.

Colleagues and friends stood with her, Flake by her side. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., had her back.

On Wednesday, Republicans and Democrats turned a morning debate over Giffords' last bill into a forum to praise her work and perseverance.

"We haven't seen the last of Gabby Giffords," said Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas. "I believe ... whatever the future holds for her she has made this a better place."

Around 10 a.m., Giffords entered the chamber through the main door, the same one Obama used the previous night. Wasserman Schultz assisted her as she made her way down the aisle, greeted warmly by colleagues with kisses and hugs. She sat in the front row for a flurry of tributes. In the gallery sat her mother, Gloria, and husband, retired Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, the former astronaut.

"All of us come to the floor today ... to salute her as the brightest star among us, the brightest star Congress has ever seen," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said he received a call from Kelly on Sunday informing him of Giffords' plans to resign. He said Giffords' "strength against all odds serves and will continue to serve as a daily inspiration to all of us."

Said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., "The House of Representative has been made proud by this extraordinary daughter of the House. Gabby, we love you, we have missed you."

Prolonged standing ovations and spontaneous whoops marked the tributes. Giffords briefly waved at Kelly and her mother when their names were mentioned.

Surrounded by colleagues and friends, Giffords stood in the well of the chamber to resign. Wasserman Schultz read her two-page letter to Boehner.

"Everyday, I am working hard," Giffords wrote. "I will recover and will return, and we will work together again, for Arizona and for all Americans."

She purposefully made it to the podium to deliver the letter to Boehner.

Moments later, the House, including Giffords, voted for her final piece of legislation ? a bill that would impose tougher penalties on smugglers who use small, low-flying aircraft to avoid radar detection and bring drugs across the Mexican border.

The vote was 408-0. The Senate, which recently passed a version of the bill, is expected to vote Thursday on the measure and send it to Obama for his signature.

Giffords submitted resignation letters to both Boehner and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. It falls to Brewer to set a date for a special primary and general election to fill the Arizona seat. That will probably happen in the spring or early summer. In November, voters will choose someone for the full two-year term.

After the tribute, Kelly said his wife realized stepping down was the right thing to do.

"But I'm more optimistic than anybody else about her future. She just needs some more time, whether it's a year or two years or three years, I'm very confident she's going to have a long and effective career as a public servant," he said.

Asked about her daughter's future, Gloria Giffords said, "I kind of think she's transcended Congress. I don't know where she's going to end up."

"She's remembered every boy she's ever kissed, every song she's ever sang, every bill she's ever passed," she said. "So upward and onward."

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Jim Abrams contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120126/ap_on_go_co/us_giffords_resignation

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Bloomberg blasts use of movie during NYPD training

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg testifies before a joint legislative budget hearing on local government in Albany, N.Y., on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg testifies before a joint legislative budget hearing on local government in Albany, N.Y., on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday that New York police used "terrible judgment" in showing counterterrorism trainees a documentary-style film that says Muslim extremists are masquerading as moderates to destroy America from within.

Bloomberg said police have stopped showing officers "The Third Jihad," a 72-minute movie that has been branded inflammatory by some Muslim organizations and was produced by a conservative group called the Clarion Fund.

"Somebody exercised some terrible judgment," he said in Albany, the state capital. "As soon as they found out about it, they stopped it."

The criticism was unusual for Bloomberg, who in recent months has vigorously defended the police department's counterterrorism efforts after an Associated Press investigation exposed a secret program to gather intelligence on Muslim neighborhoods.

Bloomberg said neither he nor Police Commissioner Ray Kelly knew about the film being shown.

"The Third Jihad" contains TV images of Hezbollah rocket attacks, children being held hostage by Muslim militants and a woman it says was arrested in Iran for wearing immodest clothing. It shows pictures it says were taken from Islamic videos and websites, including a doctored image of an Islamic flag flying over the White House.

It accuses Muslim extremists of posing as moderates and charges several Muslim organizations with being soft on terrorism. Speakers interviewed in the film say "Islamism is like cancer" and urge a "battle for our civilization."

The film is narrated by M. Zuhdi Jasser, president of the American Islamic Foundation for Democracy, based in Phoenix. Jasser rejected Bloomberg's criticism.

"I could not disagree more," Jasser said. "For him to say that without contradicting any of the facts that are presented in the movie is, I think, careless."

The film features interviews with former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and other experts. Kelly himself appears on camera, talking about Muslim converts in prison and the danger of terrorists using nuclear weapons.

But Kelly found the video objectionable and regretted consenting to the interview five years ago, said Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne, a department spokesman.

The New York-based Clarion Fund did not return calls for comment. Its website, Radicalislam.org, says Clarion was founded in 2006 by Raphael Shore. Shore is a former leader of Aish HaTorah, a chain of Jewish educational centers.

The movie was shown on a continuous loop while officers were signing in for counterterrorism training sessions from October to December 2010, according to police documents obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice, a think tank at New York University. As many as 1,489 officers who underwent training, including 68 lieutenants, may have seen it, the documents say.

Browne said that the police brass did not approve the use of the movie and that the decision to play it was made by a sergeant, who has since been reprimanded.

"This was never used in training, period. It was never authorized for use in training, period," Browne said.

The screening of the film inside the 36,000-member police department has been known for months, but police previously said only a few officers had seen it. They stopped showing it after a trainee complained.

The film was used as "intermission filler" and to "provide information for students during breaks to keep their attention focused on counterterrorism issues," Assistant Chief George W. Anderson wrote in one of the documents obtained by the Brennan Center.

Anderson wrote that he believed the video was given to police by someone in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Homeland Security said it didn't authorize the distribution of the movie.

This is not the first time a law enforcement agency has come under fire over its counterterrorism training materials. The FBI was criticized last year for presentations used in a training session that painted a negative picture of Islam. The FBI and other federal agencies pledged to review all their training materials.

Muslim activists said films like "The Third Jihad" are one-sided and teach police cadets that all Muslims are suspect.

"It's clearly a propaganda, anti-Muslim film," said Linda Sarsour, a member of the Muslim-American Civil Liberties Coalition. "It's overly dramatic, piecing together things out of context and threading it together to make this very false narrative about Muslim Americans."

A recent AP series detailed efforts by the New York Police Department to infiltrate Muslim neighborhoods and mosques with aggressive programs designed by a CIA officer. Documents reviewed by the AP revealed that undercover officers known as "rakers" visited businesses such as Islamic bookstores and cafes, chatting up store owners to gauge their views. They also played cricket and eavesdropped in ethnic clubs.

The surveillance efforts have been credited with enabling police to thwart a 2004 plot to bomb the Herald Square subway station.

Critics said the efforts amount to ethnic profiling and violate court guidelines on intelligence-gathering.

___

Read AP's previous stories and documents about the NYPD at: http://www.ap.org/nypd

___

Associated Press Writers Michael Gormley, Eileen Sullivan, Tom Hays and Deepti Hajela contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-24-NYPD-Intelligence/id-41d4e03094ce44e79c5abc95929f71e7

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Suddenly 'neck and neck' _ Romney, Gingrich in SC

Ted Grimes, left, of Anderson, S.C., places an I Voted sticker on the coat of his son Sawyer Grimes, 1, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, in the Anderson County Voter Registration office, after voting absentee in the Republican presidential primary, in Anderson, S.C. (AP Photo/Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard) GREENVILLE OUT SENECA OUT

Ted Grimes, left, of Anderson, S.C., places an I Voted sticker on the coat of his son Sawyer Grimes, 1, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, in the Anderson County Voter Registration office, after voting absentee in the Republican presidential primary, in Anderson, S.C. (AP Photo/Anderson Independent-Mail, Ken Ruinard) GREENVILLE OUT SENECA OUT

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, reacts as he arrives to campaign at Harmon Tree Farm in Gilbert, S.C., Friday, Jan. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich visits Children's Hospital, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum listens to a question during a radio interview at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Callista Gingrich, wife of Republican presidential candidate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich reads during a visit to Children's Hospital, Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, in Charleston, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) ? On the eve of a Southern showdown, Mitt Romney conceded Friday he's in a tight race with Newt Gingrich for Saturday's South Carolina primary in a Republican campaign suddenly turned turbulent.

It's "neck and neck," Romney declared, then said later in the day he expects he will win some states while Gingrich takes others in the primaries and caucuses ahead.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum, swiped at both men in hopes of springing a South Carolina surprise.

But several days after forecasting a Romney victory in his state, Sen. Jim DeMint said the campaign's first Southern primary was now a two-man race between the former Massachusetts governor, who has struggled in recent days with questions about his personal wealth and taxes, and Gingrich, the former House speaker who has been surging in polls after a pair of well-received debate performances.

The stakes were high as Republicans sought a challenger to Democratic President Barack Obama. Television advertising by the candidates and their supporters exceeded $10 million here, much of it spent in the past two weeks, and mailboxes were stuffed with campaign flyers.

In a bit of home-state boosterism, DeMint said the primary winner was "likely to be the next president of the United States."

Indeed, the winner of the state's primary has gone on to capture the Republican nomination each year since 1980.

A victory by Romney would place him in a commanding position heading into the Florida primary on Jan. 31. He and an organization supporting him are already airing television ads in that state, which is one of the country's costliest in which to campaign.

If the former Massachusetts governor stumbles in South Carolina ? as senior aides conceded he might ? it could portend a long, drawn-out battle for the nomination stretching well into spring and further expose rifts inside the party between those who want a candidate who can defeat Obama more than anything else, and those whose strong preference is for a solid conservative.

Romney sounded anything but confident as he told reporters that in South Carolina, "I realize that I had a lot of ground to make up and Speaker Gingrich is from a neighboring state, well known, popular ... and frankly to be in a neck-and-neck race at this last moment is kind of exciting."

Left unspoken was that he swept into South Carolina 10 days ago on the strength of a strong victory in the New Hampshire primary and maintained a double-digit lead in the South Carolina polls for much of the week.

Campaigning in Gilbert, S.C., on Friday, Romney demanded that Gingrich release hundreds of supporting documents relating to an ethics committee investigation into his activities while he was speaker of the House in the mid-1990s.

"''Of course he should," he told reporters. Referring to the House Democratic leader, he said, "Nancy Pelosi has the full record of that ethics investigation. You know it's going to get out ahead of the general election."

That was an attempt to turn the tables on Gingrich, who has demanded Romney release his income tax returns before the weekend primary so Republicans can know in advance if they contain anything that could compromise the party's chances against Obama this fall.

Gingrich's campaign brushed off Romney's demand, calling it a "panic attack" brought on by sinking poll numbers.

"Don't you love these guys?" the former speaker said in Orangeburg. "He doesn't release anything. He doesn't answer anything and he's even confused about whether he will ever release anything. And then they decide to pick a fight over releasing stuff?"

In January 1997, Gingrich became the first speaker ever reprimanded and fined for ethics violations, slapped with a $300,000 penalty. He said he'd failed to follow legal advice concerning the use of tax-exempt contributions to advance potentially partisan goals, but he was also cleared of numerous other allegations.

At the same time he fended off a demand on one front Friday, Gingrich was less than eager to face further questions made by his second wife, Marianne, who said in an ABC interview broadcast Thursday night that he had once sought an open marriage so he could keep the mistress who later became his current wife.

He denies the ex-wife's account.

On his final lap through the state, Santorum campaigned as the Goldilocks candidate ? just right for the state's conservative voters.

"One candidate is too radioactive, a little too hot," he said, referring to Gingrich. "And we have another candidate who is just too darn cold, who doesn't have bold plans," he added, speaking of Romney.

His campaign also announced endorsements from conservative leaders in the upcounty portion of the state around Greenville, where the heaviest concentration of evangelical voters lives.

Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, dismissed Texas Rep. Ron Paul, the fourth contender in the race. "There are four, three of whom have a chance to win the nomination," he said, including himself.

Paul, who finished third in the Iowa caucuses and second in the New Hampshire primary, has had a limited presence in South Carolina.

But he flew to six cities on a burst of campaigning on the race's final day, and drew applause for having returned to Washington, D.C., earlier in the week to vote against Obama's requested increase in the debt limit.

"When you hear the word principle, you think of Ron Paul. He's the embodiment of that," said Derek Smith, a 26-year-old engineer for the Navy in Charleston. "If he were to run as a third-party candidate, I would vote for him unconditionally."

Paul has said he has no intention of doing that.

Interviewed on C-SPAN, Santorum said the race "has just transformed itself in the last 24 hours." It was hard for any of the campaigns to argue with that.

In a bewildering series of events on Thursday, Romney was stripped of his victory in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses by state party officials, who said a recount showed Santorum ahead by 34 votes.

Then came an unexpected withdrawal by Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who endorsed Gingrich. But Gingrich was suddenly caught in a controversy caused by his ex-wife's accusations.

At a two-hour debate that capped the day, Gingrich drew applause when he strongly attacked ABC and the "liberal news media" in general for injecting the issue into the final days of the South Carolina campaign.

By contrast, Romney faced a round of boos from the audience when he stuck by earlier statements that he would wait until April to release his tax returns.

Romney has stumbled several times in recent days, including once when he said he paid an effective tax rate of about 15 percent. That's half what many middle-income Americans pay, but it's what the law stipulates because his income derives from investments, which are taxed at a lower rate than wages.

Gingrich posted his own tax returns online during the Thursday debate, reporting he paid 31.5 percent of his income to the IRS.

___

Associated Press writers Charles Babington, Kasie Hunt, Thomas Beaumont, Philip Elliott, Beth Fouhy and Shannon McCaffrey contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-20-GOP%20Campaign/id-600f24b258184bb197bebf62a230c51b

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NFL Playoff Gambling: California bettors show support for 49ers at Reno sportsbooks

College Basketball Betting Trends: Marshall looks to maintain ATS success vs. WVU

West Virginia -3.5 vs. Marshall O/U 135 Marshall and West Virginia renew their rivalry tonight in Charleston, WV. The Thundering Herd have owned the series from a pointspread perspective but tonight's matchup has seen a massive adjustment in the line compared to previous meetings. West Virginia vs. Marshall Series History 2005-11 Year Score SU Winner ATS Winner 2011 75-71 Marshall Marshall +10 2010 68-60 West Virginia Marshall +12.5 2009 87-76 West Virginia Marshall +15.5 2008 66-64 West Virginia Marshall +15.5 2007 77-63 West Virginia West Virginia -10 2006 58-52 Marshall Marshall +16 2005 59-55 Marshall Marshall +13.5 ?Tags: College Basketball West Virginia Mountaineers Marshall Thudering Herd

NFL Playoff Gambling: California bettors show support for 49ers at Reno sportsbooks

-NY Giants- at San Francisco -2.5 O/U 42 Reno's Peppermill and Cal Vena sportsbooks have seen a lot of betting support for the San Francisco 49ers. "Are you putting your money on the 49ers this weekend?" asked reporter Andrew Del Greco. "Of course," said Reyes. "Good luck," said Del Greco. "I'm going to bet my whole check if I have to," said Reyes. "The 49ers are going to the Super Bowl!" "Our ticket counts are up about 20 percent, it's mostly 49er fans," said Cox. Tags: NFL San Francisco 49ers New York Giants

College Basketball Betting: Oklahoma State has trouble lasting 40 minutes

Oklahoma State at Iowa State -8 O/U 137 Oklahoma State's youth and lack of depth really showed in last week's 106-65 loss at Baylor. But it wasn't the first time those shortcomings were exposed. The Cowboys are 2-2 in Big XII play, but?have been?outscored in the second half in all four games by a combined 45 points. Fatigue obviously could be a favor tonight with Iowa State looking to push the tempo. The Cyclones aren?t an ideal mid-range favorite, but perhaps we'll have?a halftime opportunity with a cheaper adjusted price. Following the loss to Baylor, OSU head coach Travis Ford dropped this gem of a quote... ?I told our guys and I want them to understand this, ?It?s not about winning and losing at this point, it?s about how you are playing,?? Ford said. ?Because we can play well and still not maybe win the game. ?About eight to 10 minutes to go in the (Baylor) game, we didn?t have much fight in us.? ? ? Tags: College Basketball Oklahoma State Cowboys Iowa State Cyclones

NBA Handicapping: Clippers blasted in Utah sans Paul, return home to face Dallas

Dallas at LA Clippers Without Chris Paul, or any real desire to put forth an effort, this happened to the Los Angeles Clippers last night. Head coach Vinny Del Negro wasn't shy about voicing his disappointment. The Clips still trail a majority of the team in terms of games played but will be facing the third game of a back-to-back-to-back tonight against Dallas. As of this morning, Paul (hamstring) was listed as questionable. ? "I didn?t like our approach," Del Negro said. "I didn?t like our focus. I didn?t like our toughness. I didn?t like our energy to start the game. We dug ourselves a hole. "We?re not going to win a lot of games playing with that type of effort. I don?t care if it is a back-to-back game, where we?re playing, how much rest they have. We have to play better than that." "We just came out and played poorly. We didn?t have good energy," Del Negro said. "We weren?t aggressive. They were more aggressive. Give Utah credit, but our starters didn?t get off to a good start with their energy defensively and Utah got into a rhythm. "There?re no excuses. We?ve got to bounce back tomorrow night and play much harder, play smarter, play tougher, and that?s what I expect." Tags: NBA Los Angeles Clippers Dallas Mavericks

NCAA Basketball Gambling: Indiana exposed on defense in Big Ten play

Indiana -4.5 at Nebraska O/U 131 Despite dropping back-to-back games, Indiana isn't going into panic mode as it travels to face Nebraska tonight. Despite some impressive wins this season, the Hoosiers continue to be exposed on the defensive end of the floor. Through six games in league play, IU ranks 12th in points per possession allowed (1.12), 11th in effective FG% (54.9) and 10th in 2-point FG% defense (55.3). The numbers should improve with their next three games against offensive challenged Nebraska, Penn State and Wisconsin. But the Hoosiers have built a rep in the betting markets and if they want to continue to win games (and cover pointspreads) they'll need to improve on the stopping the opposition. ?I think this is an important game because it?s the next game,? said IU freshman Cody Zeller. ?We?re just going to take this one game at a time whether we?re on a big winning streak or on a two-game losing streak. I think every game is important to us.? ?We?ve had two tough losses and now we have to bounce back from them,? Oladipo said. ?The most important game is our next one and that?s (today). We have to come out with an edge and with some energy.? ?Tags: College Basketball Indiana Hoosiers Nebraska Cornhuskers

NFL Playoff Betting News: High-octane offenses drop like flies

Baltimore at New England -7.5 O/U 50.5 Despite all of the offense that took place during the regular season, the postseason has already weeded out two of the top three offenses (Green Bay and New Orleans). The Patriots are the only team remaining but are they on borrowed time or will their situational defense be enough to survive? Don't forget that the Saints, Patriots and Packers ranked 30th, 31st and 32nd respectively against the pass this season. Also note that the New England is just 1-6 ATS in its last seven postseason contests (the lone cover last week vs. Denver). ? Tags: NFL New England Patriots Baltimore Ravens

NBA Handicapping: Dallas Mavericks one of many teams struggling to score

Some startling numbers?on how bad offenses have been in the NBA with a focus on the Dallas Mavericks who shot 35% in last night's ugly 73-70 loss to the Lakers. There are currently 21 teams shooting 45% or worse ? up from last year's 13. Nineteen teams are averaging 96 ppg or less. "Hasn't been there all year," Terry said of a Mavs offense that ranks 21st in scoring at 92.6 points a game and 22nd in field-goal percentage at 43.1. "But defensively, we're doing our job. We just have to make shots. Stay encouraged; defensively we're playing our ass off. We'll get there. Again, it was just an uncharacteristic, off-shooting night for us. I'm not really concerned." "Throughout the season," said Dirk Nowitzki, averaging just 17.9 points on 46.9 percent shooting and 19.2 percent from 3-point range, "I expect a lot of ugly games like that to happen. It's just normal." Tags: NBA Dallas Mavericks

Handicapping the NFL Playoffs: Statistical percentages vs. Betting lines

Quick look at the comparison between Football Outsiders' DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) playoffs odds and CRIS's betting lines. Here are the moneyline to percentage calculations based on CRIS's lines. New England (-350) is 78% to beat Baltimore San Francisco (-135) is 57% to beat New York Here are the odds to win the Super Bowl; moneyline and percentages. New England (+105) 48.7% New York Giants (+240) 29.4% San Francisco (+240) 29.4% Baltimore (+650) 13.3% ? Tags: NFL

NBA Betting Free Pick: Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers

Submitted by Teddy CoversGolden State +2.5 at Cleveland O/U 196.5? Recommendation: Golden State Expect another strong effort out of Golden State tonight as they continue their road trip with a game in Cleveland against the Cavs.? Here?s what forward David Lee said on the eve of the trip: ?If we come back with a losing record from this road trip, it should be a huge disappointment. This is a road trip to places where we need to go take care of business and get three or possibly four victories. I don't see it any other way at this point." But Mark Jackson?s squad started the trip with a complete no-show in Charlotte, blown off the court by the lowly Bobcats.? They were outscored 66-46 before halftime, and never came close to making up the deficit in the final 24 minutes of play.? Forward Dominic McGuire: ?We took it for granted. We came out thinking this was an automatic win?.I don't think it was anything they did. They were hitting shots but ... 38 points for the Bobcats in the first quarter? C'mon." The Warriors bounced back strong against the Pistons on Sunday, coming away with an eight point road win as a 4.5 point underdog.? And their primed to do it again tonight, facing a tired Cleveland squad, playing on the second night of back-2-backs with their ninth consecutive court change as they return home following a grueling seven game road trip.? The Cavs stepped up in the second half to earn a much needed win at Charlotte yesterday, leaving them a tad bit ?fat and happy' here, as evidenced by this quote from head coach Byron Scott: ?I told the guys that if we can come off this seven-game trip with three wins, it?d be pretty good. And we did that. And we had some other close ones, so the road trip pretty much was a success.?? Look for the Cavs to really struggle matching the Warriors intensity this evening, especially without injured sharpshooting starter Anthony Parker in the lineup. Tags: NBA Golden State Warriors Cleveland Cavaliers Teddy Covers

Gambling on the NFL Playoffs: Baltimore prepares for trip to New England

Baltimore at New England -7.5 O/U 50.5 New England has defeated Baltimore six out of the last seven in the series, but the Ravens did win in Foxboro during the 2009 playoffs. Winning on the road during this year's regular season proved to be difficult for Baltimore but the team is instead focusing on its past success on the highway during the postseason (4-3 SU/ATS last four years). "The last four times we played them, going back to `97, all four of them have been wars," Johnson said. "Even though they've won three of the four, they had to earn it. This one is not going to be any different. It's going to be an extremely intense situation and environment, and we're looking forward to it. It's going to be fun." "I think it helps just by the fact that we've done it," he said. "Most of our team has been there before. Those young guys can relate to the older guys, and the older guys can share some wisdom. "But it's not going to impact necessarily this game except to the extent that our guys have been there before and it's certainly not going to be anything new to them. And that's a good thing." ?Tags: NFL Baltimore Ravens New England Patriots

NFL Betting News: Sportsbooks in fear of a New York Giants Super Bowl run

Both offshore and Las Vegas sportsbooks are facing some hefty payouts if the New York Giants continue to win. The Giants right now are our biggest loser if they were to win the Super Bowl,? Kevin Bradley, Bovada sportsbook manager told the New York Post last week. ?Before the first Cowboys-Giants game (in Week 14), we actually had a big customer put down a large bet on the Giants to win both the NFC crown and the Super Bowl,? Chris Andrews, assistant director of Club Cal Neva Sports Books, said. ?This customer took 60-1 for the Super Bowl and 30-1 for the conference." ?If the Giants win the Super Bowl, it will be a very nice score for the betting public,? says David Mason, spokesperson for Panama-based BetOnline.com. ?It seems like no matter the sport, there is just so much public money coming out of the Big Apple, we are more often than not exposed a bit. This year is no different. Even a season like this one, when the Giants had to go down to the wire to even make the playoffs, their faithful bettors always saw value in their long odds.? Tags: NFL New York Giants

Sports Betting Podcast 1-17-2012 with Rob Veno and Erin Rynning

Tags: College Basketball NBA Rob Veno Erin Rynning

Gambling on the NFL Playoffs: San Francisco well aware of different Giants team

The red hot Giants, led by quarterback Eli Manning, look to be a different bunch than the ones that traveled to San Francisco earlier in the year. The 49ers have taken notice. Some quotes and notes here from the Mercury News: "Eli's not throwing many interceptions," said 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown, who had one of the 49ers' two interceptions against Drew Brees in Saturday's 36-32 divisional win over the New Orleans Saints. Manning tallied nine touchdown passes, one interception and 953 yards as the Giants won their past three elimination games: A 31-14 victory over Dallas to clinch the NFC East, a 24-2 rout of the Atlanta Falcons in the wild-card round and Sunday's dethroning of the Packers. Manning had two passes intercepted in the Nov. 13 loss. His fateful 40th attempt was knocked down by lineman Justin Smith's right hand on fourth down with 34 seconds left. "Eli has been money all year," Smith said Monday. "(When) we played him, he was dropping balls in there that only the receiver could get to. It's going to be a tough matchup." Tags: NFL New York Giants San Francisco 49ers

NBA Betting Trends: Chicago Bulls fit strong profile for matchup vs. Phoenix

Pretty impressive betting trend in action tonight in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls off a game in which they allowed more than 100 points* (102-86 loss at Memphis). Over the last two seasons, the Bulls are an amazing 14-3 ATS and 4-13 O/U in this profile. The two 64-point performances came this season. The rest during the 2010-11 season. No line yet on tonight's game against Phoenix ? Derrick Rose currently listed as doubtful. *In regulation Chicago Bulls Betting Results Last Two Season After Allowing 100 points Opponent Points Allowed Bulls ATS Over/Under Phoenix ??? ??? ??? Washington 64 Win Under Memphis 64 Win Under Atlanta 83 Win Under Atlanta 73 Win Under Phoenix 94 Loss Under Sacramento 92 Win Over Washington 79 Win Under Miami 89 Win Under Portland 109 Loss Over Boston 79 Win Under Detroit 92 (OT) Loss Under Philadelphia 76 Win Over Oklahoma City 90 Win Under Denver 98 Win Under Dallas 83 Win Under Boston 110 (OT) Win Over Detroit 91 Win Under Results 86.2 pgg 14-3 ATS 4-13 O/U Tags: NBA Chicago Bulls Phoenix Suns

NBA Handicapping: Phoenix Suns continue to struggle on offense

Phoenix at Chicago Article of Phoenix's struggles on offense this year. The Suns are averaging 11.2 ppg below last year's mark and don't feature a player in the top 50 in scoring. ?I think everyone is going to score more,? said Nash, who posted 20 points and 10 assists despite a sore quadriceps. ?There?s going to be more cohesion. We?ll see more balance, and we?ll see more guys scoring. It?ll get better.? ?We?ve got to have Channing shoot the ball better than he is,? Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. ?JD (Dudley) is starting to come into his own, shoot better and make plays. We?ve just got to get ourselves running and get easy layups. The history of our team and how it has shot well came from how we would get layups and dunks. To be in a half-court situation so often is not good.? ? Tags: NBA Phoenix Suns Chicago Bulls

College Basketball Betting: Analyzing close against the spread results

Submitted by Fairway JayThis is Part I of a series of articles to be posted on college basketball results and the impact against the spread (ATS). I?m often asked about close results and usually emailed, tweeted or text a message about a close win or loss (usually loss). It?s important to understand some of the random variances that can take place in betting sports, and in this case college basketball. Over the course of a college basketball season the average margin of a final score will fall with 8-9 points from the betting line. Over the past few weeks we have suffered our share of close ATS losses, including 0-5 the past three days for results that landed within five points of the betting line. Along with some service selections, my personal wagering has resulted in a 0-5 recent run for games that landed within one point of the betting line.? Yet despite some recent less than desired results, we?ve been on quite a run on our top-rated Big Drive plays. Since late November the record stands 25-7. Through the winning run and full season, I spend many hours logging and tracking scores, stats and lines. I?ve been tracking scores and documenting the results as it relates to ATS wins and losses. In November I wrote a blog about ATS results. Over the years, I?ve used a 5-point result from the betting line as a pretty solid standard for random ATS results. Over the course of a college basketball season, approx. 40-42% of the games and final scores will land within five points of the betting line. In the opening month of the season covering over 580 lined games, 34.6% of the CBB games fell within five points of the betting line, proving that early season college basketball can be more beatable as the oddsmaker is not as sharp as it relates to final scores ATS. Understand that betting lines move based on market activity, and I?m usually grading from the closing line. But the results shown would still be close even to the opening line. In the month of December, there were over 660 CBB games. Of those games, 41.4% landed within five points of the betting line, and exactly 10% of the games landed within one point of the line; which is usually the average over the course of a CBB season. Regardless of your level of handicapping ability, long term results of these close ATS games should produce close to 50% ATS winners and losers. If you?re results are more losers than winners on these close ATS results, then you?re just having a negative random variance and unfortunate results. Along with line moves, bookmaker juice and other challenges in preparing to win and beat the bookmaker, it can be frustrating if you are suffering too many close ATS losses. We?ve experienced that first hand recently, going 5-13 on results that have landed within five points of the betting line in the month of January.?? We?ll review January results in Part II along with additional ATS parameters as we continue to evaluate the results, stats and match-ups, and work to become even more proficient in point spread prognosis in our never-ending pursuit of profit. Check back throughout each week for additional articles, analysis, insight and ?Fairway Forecasts? along with the best sports betting information at sportsmemo.com/blogs. Fairway Jay is a recognized leader and one of the sports industries insightful point spread prognosticators. He?s having another winning and profitable season in 2011-12 highlighted by 16-units of profit in December alone (1 and 2 unit scale). Fairway Jay?s current top-play Big Drive run is a bankroll-building 25-7 including 11-3 on his top-rated 20* Big Drive plays. Fairway Jay has won 67% of his top-rated Big Drive selections this college basketball season. Fairway Jay is a proven pro and performer in the college basketball game with a 5-year stretch of consecutive winning seasons and profits that placed him on the leaderboard among the nation?s top college basketball handicappers. With documented success and experience to battle with the best and beat the bookmaker, join Fairway Jay on the college basketball court and profit from his experience and well-rounded game. Follow on Twitter: @FairwayJay Tags: College Basketball Fairway Jay

NCAA Basketball Gambling: Michigan looks for three straight over rival Michigan State

Michigan State -1 at Michigan O/U 131.5 Notes on tonight's Michigan State-Michigan matchup in Ann Arbor. Both teams come in off of losses ?MSU fell at Northwestern 81-74 and UM was blown out at Iowa, 75-59. The Wolverines has some pretty strong ATS trends in their favor: 15-4 ATS run vs. Big Ten, 27-8 ATS run as an underdog, 15-6 ATS run at home. Michigan won both meetings last season, 70-63 (-1) and 61-57 (+11). ? Tags: College Basketball Michigan Wolverines Michigan State Spartans

College Basketball Free Play: Maryland Terrapins at Florida State Seminoles

Submitted by Andrew LangeMaryland at Florida State? Recommendation: Maryland +6.5 1st half Beating North Carolina at home wasn't that monumental of an achievement for Florida State ? despite what the Seminoles? student body showcased after the buzzer. However, hanging 90 on the Tar Heels in route to a 33-point victory is no doubt going to make FSU's players feel good about themselves. Letdowns happen all of the time in college hoops and the odds of that occurring to the Seminoles ? for at least parts of tonight's game ? are pretty good. I will say that of all of the potential letdown victims, it is the teams with elite level defenses which are typically the least susceptible ? something that FSU without question has. The one thing the Seminoles don't have though is the ability to consistently knock down shots. Against a majority of the better teams on their schedule, the Seminoles failed to top 1.0 point per possession. Maryland is a different squad than it was at the start of the year. After adjusting some to first-year head coach Mark Turgeon and going to battle with a full complement of players, we've seen the Terps play some competitive basketball with 9 out of 10 wins (lone loss, 79-74 at NC State). They take a big step up in class defensively against FSU but this is a scrappy enough team to hang around. Look for the home side to come out a little flat as we make a play on the underdog in the first half.? Tags: College Basketball Maryland Terrapins Florida State Seminoles Andrew Lange

College Basketball Betting: Kentucky Wildcats struggle to cover pointspreads

Submitted by Andrew LangeTypically, the best teams in college basketball post against the spread records around the .500 mark. They obviously win a lot which is correlated with covering spreads but on the same token, the extra "tax" and attraction to bettors often keeps them from putting up great ATS numbers. Take last year from example. North Carolina (16-17 ATS), Duke (20-16 ATS), Kansas (18-17 ATS), Pittsburgh (15-14 ATS), Syracuse (15-18 ATS), Ohio State (18-16 ATS) and Kentucky (16-16 ATS) were all right around the .500 mark. There were some expectations, most notably UConn (23-12 ATS), but the Huskies came from way off the grid to go 10-1 ATS during the postseason. But this year, something odd is taking place. Kentucky, which is considered to be one of the best teams in the country, is a horrific 3-13-1/4-12-1/4-13 ATS (depending on what numbers you go by). Based on one set of numbers I saw, the Wildcats haven't covered a game since November 19 ? after starting the season 3-0 ATS. So why has Kentucky been such a poor spread team? No question, there is a tax tacked onto the Cats ? but the same can be said about a lot teams. But unlike those teams, Kentucky is young, and winning games by margin ? which often takes a full 40 minutes of effort with already inflated lines ? can be difficult with such a young cast of characters. The Cats have missed out more than a handful of covers by laying off the pedal late, not to mention they were wildly overpriced in their first two road games in the SEC. I think some of it can be attributed head coach John Calipari and his emphasis on development and gearing his young teams for the postseason. Unlike other squads, he doesn't have multiple years to develop team chemistry and teach these kids the little things involved in being a champion. He's handed a ton of inexperience and little to no time to teach them how to win. And the learning process, which we are witnessing right now, is forced to take place in games, rather than in practice or the offseason. As a result, Kentucky is winning a lot of games on sheer talent alone, which is a big reason why they've faltered against the spread at such a high rate. And I've seen enough of Calipari to know that close wins and losses are almost a welcome sight as they better prepare his teams for a Final Four run. I think moving forward, the Cats are going to stumble upon a handful of ATS victories but their struggles are no fluke if you break down all of the factors involved. Tags: College Basketball Kentucky Wildcats Andrew Lange

NCAA Basketball Betting Trends: 71% of Missouri Valley games have gone OVER the total

Submitted by Andrew LangeBuilding on the blog we posted the other day about the increase in scoring in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. The MVC has long been known as a grind-it-out league that on occasion sees a team or two willing to play up-tempo. Below is a chart of the team-by-team yearly pace rankings according to Ken Pom. As you can see, from 2008-10, the MVC's average rank was between 233 and 241. This season however, we've seen that number climb to 173 as half the league ranks 143 or higher. I think we'll see the overall pace numbers dip once these teams play more conference games which brings us to our next point. Amazingly, 25 of the MVC's 35 league games have gone over the total thus far. The only two teams to not trend towards the OVER in league play are ironically the league's two top offense, Creighton and Wichita State. And only one team (Drake, 6-9 O/U) has trended UNDER from a season long perspective. Missouri Valley Conference Tempo Numbers Team 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2012 O/U MVC Bradley 67 216 212 166 36 6-1 Creighton 159 84 206 255 71 3-4 Drake 271 274 295 206 143 5-2 Evansville 254 121 202 139 140 5-2 Illinois State 290 239 226 310 277 6-1 Indiana State 193 256 237 190 223 6-1 Missouri State 162 280 250 309 235 5-2 Northern Iowa 328 318 343 340 291 4-3 Southern Illinois 305 229 172 263 131 7-0 Wichita State 309 291 254 231 183 3-4 Average Rank 234 231 240 241 173 25-10 Tags: College Basketball Andrew Lange

NBA Betting Alert: Bogut slated to return for Milwaukee Bucks today

Submitted by Otto SportsMilwaukee at Philadelphia -9 O/U 185 Andrew Bogut returns to the lineup on MLK day for the Milwaukee Bucks after suffering from concussion symptoms. The starting center is so important to the Bucks from a defensive standpoint, something head coach Scott Skiles has discussed on more than one occasion during the season. Note the Bucks are 0-5 without Bogut to date. Here?s a quote from Skiles in a recent article: "In some of our better defensive stretches, it's because Andrew has erased some mistakes," Skiles said of Bogut. "And not just with a shot block but with his presence around the painted area. It brings out some of the flaws in our overall team defense when he's not out there." His return along with an increased effort on the defensive end after an embarrassing loss to Dallas last time out should see Milwaukee at their best. And they?ll have a willing partner in a defensive showdown. Philadelphia is the NBA?s top ranked defensive efficiency team, ranking No. 1 in field goal and three point percentage allowed and No. 2 in points per game allowed. Look for this game to be a low scoring tilt.? Tags: NBA Milwaukee Bucks Philadelphia 76ers Marty Otto

NBA Betting News and Notes 1-16-2012

Submitted by Teddy CoversWe're only three weeks into the young NBA season, yet we're already seeing teams morph away from how they looked earlier in the campaign. Let's take a look around the league, concentrating on key notes and quotes, the type of information that has the potential to make us some money in the weeks to come. Detroit ? Pistons starting forward Tayshaun Prince has had a fascinating career arc. He?s been on a championship team in 2004 and returned to the Finals again in 2005. Prince has helped his team reach the Eastern Conference Finals six times. He?s also played for six different head coaches in Detroit, including their current head honcho, Lawrence Frank. But with a 3-10 record to open the season including four consecutive non-competitive home losses, Prince has been vocal about his frustrations, just weeks after inking an extension to stay with Detroit for the next four years. Prince: ?We got to figure out a way to get in the paint a lot more. Right now, we?re confused on both ends and we?re settling for jump shots. I know myself in general, I?ve taken shots that really haven?t come in the flow. You?re kind of forced to take shots you really don?t want to take. They?re not rhythm shots. That?s when it becomes frustrating.? After the John Kuester coaching disaster led to a near player revolt last year, the change to Frank was supposed to be an easy, automatic upgrade. Prince doesn?t seem to think so, at least when it comes to Detroit?s on court improvement (or lack thereof).? ?At some point, even though you?re in a struggling process of trying to learn, you want to see consistent signs, and you?re not seeing those signs right now.? The hiring of Frank hasn?t resulted in any sort of attendance boost. When Detroit was competing for championships, they were selling out the 22,000+ seats at the Palace of Auburn Hills every night; a streak of 259 consecutive games. This year, the Pistons have averaged less than 12,000 fans per game, dead last in the NBA in attendance. And, as Prince alluded, the team is struggling mightily learning Frank?s systems on both ends of the court. The head coach raised some eyebrows with this quote: ?Not to be insensitive, everyone wants a baby, few want to go through the pregnancy. Guess what, this is going to be hard?. I?ve got the utmost respect for women, O.K. But my point is, there are going to be labor pains.? Golden State ? Watch out of the Warriors on their current East Coast swing. Golden State went on the road trip with high expectations, facing off against a quartet of bottom feeders: Charlotte, Detroit, Cleveland and New Jersey.? Forward David Lee on the eve of the trip: ?If we come back with a losing record from this road trip, it should be a huge disappointment. This is a road trip to places where we need to go take care of business and get three or possibly four victories. I don't see it any other way at this point." But Mark Jackson?s squad started the trip with a complete no-show in Charlotte, blown off the court by the lowly Bobcats. They were outscored 66-46 before halftime, and never came close to making up the deficit in the final 24 minutes of play. Forward Dominic McGuire: ?We took it for granted. We came out thinking this was an automatic win?.I don't think it was anything they did. They were hitting shots but ... 38 points for the Bobcats in the first quarter? C'mon." Coach Jackson: ?We didn?t show up. As a coach, that?s on me. Somehow my guys didn?t come out ready to play. We jumped on them early and took our foot off the gas. We thought it was going to be easy. ? This type of effort cannot be accepted.? The Warriors certainly played hard against the Pistons on Sunday, coming away with an eight point road win as a 4.5 point underdog. Coach Jackson: ?We defended, we didn?t make excuses, and we didn?t get frustrated. It was just a great performance overall?.. I think the guys felt challenged, and first and foremost we are a defensive-minded team. We started to get stops and it affected our offense.? Let?s see if that defensive effort carries over to the remainder of their trip. New York ? The Knicks enter the week on a run of six straight Unders, only reaching 100 and allowing 100 once apiece during that nine day span. The Knicks haven?t been known for playing any defense at all since Patrick Ewing left for Seattle and Jeff Van Gundy abruptly resigned 19 games into the 2001-2002 season. And head coach Mike D?Antoni hasn?t been known for coaching a defense-first style at any point of his decade long NBA career. As Vince Lombardi might say, ?What the hell is going on out there?? New York won a game last week against the 76ers when they didn?t make a single basket for the final nine minutes of the fourth quarter. They missed their last nine shots from the floor and committed nine turnovers; managing only seven free throws down the stretch. But they held Philly to 37 percent shooting for the game and gave up only ten assists on the Sixers 32 made baskets. Carmelo Anthony: ?We're not worried about our offense. That will come. Right now, we're focused on our defense. That's where we need to be. We're committed to doing it.? ?Melo, explaining how last year?s playoff sweep at the hands of the Celtics has left his team hungry for defensive improvement: ?I think that's in the back of our minds. For me personally, I was on a personal vendetta. I get tired of hearing it.? Anthony continued: ?I think most importantly that once we got Tyson [Chandler] everybody was saying he was the key to the defensive changes. But it was going to start with myself and Amare to help him out. We can't rely on Tyson to do everything out there. As long as I'm out there putting the effort forth, as long as Amare is doing the same thing, going for the loose balls, rebounding, talking, communicating, we'll be a great defensive team. I can see us moving in that path." Rookie point guard Iman Shumpert moved into the starting lineup just as the Knicks were transforming defensively. ?When I came in here, people were telling me that I was going to have to change the attitude of this team. But when I stepped onto the floor, it was Amare and Melo who came at me, telling me, 'You're going to have to defend.' So it was clear to me that those guys made the change in their minds at the end of the last year. Obviously, during the lockout, they made a commitment to themselves that they were going to play defense and they were going to make sure everybody on this team played defense. So I just came in and did what I normally do. Somehow, it seems like it's starting to click right now." 76ers head coach Doug Collins certainly noticed New York?s defensive improvement.? ?I thought what [the Knicks] did tonight was, by far, the best defense I've seen played all season long. They're big and strong. Their guards got into us. I take my hat off to them. Very impressive." Philadelphia ? If the playoffs started today, the 76ers would be the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference, behind only Chicago. Doug Collins team was a pointspread juggernaut down the stretch last year, consistently undervalued by the betting markets. With a 10-2 ATS mark so far this year, at first glance, it sure looks that the markets are still undervaluing the Sixers on a nightly basis. But when we dig underneath the surface, we see that Philadelphia?s SU and ATS records may be more than a tad bit misleading. First, we?ve got to look at Philly?s early season schedule. To say that it?s been a weak slate of foes is something of an understatement. The 76ers have beaten the Wizards twice, the Kings, Raptors, Pistons, Hornets, Warriors, Suns and Pacers for their nine wins. Of that grouping, only Indiana is a likely playoff team. So far, all we?ve seen Philly do is beat up on weaklings. And when we take a closer look at the weaklings Philly has been beating, their schedule looks even weaker. They beat Golden State without their best offensive player, Monta Ellis. Against the Hornets, New Orleans was without their best defensive wing, Trevor Ariza. They beat Detroit without Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Rodney Stuckey in the lineup. The win over Indiana came when the Pacers were without Danny Granger and George Hill. Kings leading scorer Marcus Thornton was on the sidelines in street clothes in Philly?s win over Sacramento. Basically, the entirely of Philly?s red hot 9-1 SU and ATS run in their last ten games came against bottom feeders with significant injury concerns. There?s no question that Philly is pretty good, but there are real questions about whether the Sixers current status as the second best team in the East will leave them with any pointspread value as their schedule toughens up in the weeks and months to follow. Tags: NBA Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Teddy Covers

College Basketball Gambling Preview: Baylor Bears at Kansas Jayhawks

Submitted by Fairway JayKansas and Baylor battle in a key Big Xll game Monday night with both teams 4-0 in conference play. They should put on a great show at raucous Allen Fieldhouse, where Kansas is 60-1 SU the last 3+ years. Baylor?s collection of big men may be the best in the nation with a long, athletic group of forwards and some top NBA prospects including sophomore Perry Jones lll and freshman Quincy Miller. Kansas counters with a 7-foot center and the league?s No. 1 rebounder, junior Thomas Robinson. I saw Baylor (17-0) play West Virginia in December at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The Bears? athleticism and length is impressive and they?remain one of just three undefeated teams in the country. Here is a statistical profile of tonight?s top game on ESPN. League stats show the following. ??Baylor leads the league in scoring at 79 ppg while Kansas has the league?s No. 1 scoring defense allowing just 57 ppp? ??Baylor is No. 2 in scoring defense at 62 ppg? ??Kansas (+18) and Baylor (+16) lead the Big Xll in scoring margin? ??Kansas (34%) and Baylor (38%) lead the Big Xll in field goal defense? ??Baylor?leads the league in 3-point shooting (42%) and Kansas is No. 2 in 3-point shooting defense? ??Kansas (7.0) and Baylor (5.0) lead the league in blocked shots per game? ??Baylor leads the league in assists (17) and steals (9) per game? ??Both teams are +8 in rebounding margin to lead the league Despite a rising total, let?s play this game under the total as a Free Fairway Forecast. Fairway Jay is a recognized leader and one of the sports industries insightful point spread prognosticators. He?s having another winning and profitable season in 2011-12 highlighted by 16-units of profit in December alone (1 and 2 units scale). Fairway Jay?s current top-play Big Drive run is an incredible bankroll-building 25-6 including 11-2 on his top-rated 20* Big Drive plays. Fairway Jay has won 68% of his top-rated Big Drive selections this college basketball season. Fairway Jay is a proven pro and performer in the college basketball game with a 5-year stretch of consecutive winning seasons and profits that placed him on the leaderboard among the nation?s top college basketball handicappers. With documented success and experience to battle with the best and beat the bookmaker, join Fairway Jay on the college basketball court and profit from his experience and well-rounded game. Follow on Twitter: @FairwayJay Tags: College Basketball Baylor Bears Kansas Jayhawks Fairway Jay

Sports Betting Podcast 1-16-2012 with Brent Crow and Teddy Covers

Tags: College Basketball NBA Brent Crow Teddy Covers

NBA Handicapping: Bobcats go small ball with Augustine and Walker

Cleveland at Charlotte -2 O/U 194 The Bobcats saw positive results in Saturday's 112-100 win over Golden State when they put DJ Augustine and Kemba Walker in the backcourt and moved Boris Diaw to the bench. Head coach Paul Silas noted the team played much faster and with more energy. Obviously it was just one performance (against the Warriors) and the Augustine-Walker duo could cause issues on the defensive end, but it was a rare bright spot in what has been a dismal season for the Bobcats. "We weren't just standing around with no energy level," Silas described. "(Saturday) we weren't just settling for jump shots. We were really passing it inside." "Defense can be an issue. We'll be dealing with larger" shooting guards, Silas said of his new lineup, which faces the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday in a 2 p.m. Martin Luther King Day matinee at Time Warner Cable Arena. "But Kemba is tough-minded; he's not going to back down. I thought he did a great job on Monta Ellis." Tags: NBA Charlotte Bobcats Cleveland Cavliers

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