Obama, Perry to Star in New Comic Books

ABC News Radio(VANCOUVER, Wash.) -- The comic book world is about to become more partisan, with a new political character and a fresh look at an already popular character.

Bluewater Productions, a Washington state-based comic book company, says it will feature Texas Gov. Rick Perry in a forthcoming 32-page spread, telling the story of the “mercurial and often combative governor...his rise from Eagle Scout, through his mastery of the dog-eat-dog world of Texas politics and to his entrance into the 2012 Republican primary.”

The company also plans an expanded, 48-page edition of its Barack Obama comic, including details from the president’s first term such as “the federal bailout of the financial and auto industries, the fight for health care reform, his handling of various foreign policy situations, and the recent showdowns with Congress.”

Both books are due for release in January, the company said in a statement.

“Politics aside, these men couldn’t be any more different,” said Bluewater president Darren Davis. “But both have an uncommon charisma that appeals to their side of the aisle. And both have compelling stories that make for fascinating reading.”

A spokesman for Bluewater, which also sells comics featuring Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, said the editorial and artistic contents of each book were produced independent of each candidates’ campaign.  They are “non-authorized” biographies, said Bluewater’s Jason Schultz.

The “Political Power” series debuted in 2008 with a comic rendition of then-vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Her book sold more than 15,000 copies in three printings, the company said.

The Barack Obama comic book has sold more than 35,000 copies in two printings since 2008, while a Michelle Obama edition has topped 75,000.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Trump Says Media Blackout Was Deliberate

Mike Stobe/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Donald Trump told CNN Monday that he and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney made a conscious effort to avoid the media before and after their meeting Monday in New York City.

“It was deliberate. We wanted to keep it quiet,” Trump said.

Romney met Trump at around 2 p.m. at Trump’s midtown offices, but managed to dodge the press waiting for a photo op of the two.

Trump added that he and Romney “hit it off better than expected.”

“It went really well,” Trump said of the meeting. “I learned a lot about him.”

“We had a great talk,” he said, but then cautioned against reading too much into that:  “Nobody is endorsing anybody,” he said.

Asked about the video released by the Democratic National Committee mocking their meeting, Trump said he thought it was “amateur night.”

“The ad wasn’t a good one,” he said.

The Romney campaign has yet to confirm Monday’s meeting with Trump and when asked if the governor was intentionally avoiding the media responded that Monday’s events were all closed to the press.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

DOJ Speeds Path of Health Law to Supreme Court

Stockbyte/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- The Obama administration said Monday that it would not appeal its health care loss to the full court of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

The decision means the administration will appeal the decision directly with the Supreme Court, increasing the likelihood that the high court could decide the issue before the next presidential election.

The 11th circuit is the only appeals court so far that has struck down the individual mandate. The 6th Circuit upheld the mandate and the 4th Circuit dismissed two challenges on jurisdictional grounds. The D.C. circuit heard a challenge last Friday.

The challenge in the 11th circuit is perhaps one of the most high profile cases because it was brought by 26 states and the National Federation of Business.

The lawyer for the states is former Solicitor General Paul Clement.

The timing, of course, is ultimately up to the Supreme Court. Because the circuits have split on a major piece of congressional legislation it is likely that the Supreme Court would ultimately step in and decide the issue, but it could choose not to hear the issue this term.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Christie Not Running for President, Says Spokesman

Governor's Office/Tim Larsen(CLAYTON, Missouri) --  A spokesman for New Jersey Republicans shot down speculation that Chris Christie might reconsider and jump in the presidential race.

“Governor Christie is flattered that his accomplishments in New Jersey have received so much support from voters across the country but nothing has changed with regards to the Governor’s decision not to run for President in 2012,” according to a statement from Rick Gorka, New Jersey’s GOP spokesman.

Back in April, Christie told ABC’s Diane Sawyer he did “not feel ready in his heart to be president.”

But while the New Jersey Republican party sought to tamp down on the speculation, one top New Jersey Republican, former Governor Tom Kean, fueled it on Monday.

“It’s real,” Kean said, according to National Journal. “He’s giving it a lot of thought. I think the odds are a lot better now than they were a couple weeks ago.”

The speculation, despite Christie’s repeated promises that he would not run, brought new attention to a weeklong cross-country GOP fundraising swing that kicked off Monday with a private event at a Ritz-Carlton just outside of St. Louis.

Outside the hotel a small group of about 20 union protesters gathered momentarily before Christie’s arrival, chanting “Just say no to Christie’s lies, defend our right to organize.” But they quickly dispersed after only a matter of minutes.

With multiple entrances to the hotel, Christie was not seen making his way into the Ritz Monday. The hotel’s management enlisted the help of the Clayton Police Department to make sure that no members of the media so much as stepped on the sidewalk in front of the Ritz.

As ABC News has reported, sources close to Christie have said that “the pressure from donors and other people has intensified” and the “volume of calls” urging Christie to run have increased, but that “nothing has changed” since he insisted he would not run in April.

After three events in the St. Louis area Monday and Tuesday -- all closed to reporters -- Christie will head to California before wrapping up his whirlwind tour later this week in Louisiana.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

LinkedIn Town Hall: Man Asks Obama to 'Please Raise My Taxes'

iStockphoto(MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.) -- President Obama took a break from his three-day campaign fundraising tour Monday to pitch his $447-billion jobs plan and defend his proposal to raise taxes on the wealthy to reduce the deficit, arguing that everyone is going to have to do their “fair share.”

At the “Putting America Back to Work” LinkedIn town hall in Mountain View, Calif., Obama came face-to-face with his deficit-reduction proposal. “Would you please raise my taxes?” asked Doug Edwards, a former director of consumer marketing and branding at Google, who described himself as “unemployed by choice.”

“I would like very much to have the country to continue to invest in things like Pell grants and infrastructure and job training programs that made it possible for me to get to where I am,” Edwards said.

“And it kills me to see Congress not supporting the expiration of the tax cuts that have been benefitting so many of us for so long.  I think that needs to change, and I hope that you'll stay strong in doing that.”

The question set up the president to explain why he thinks it’s necessary to reform the tax code so that “everybody is doing their fair share.”
 
“This is not an issue of, Do we somehow try to punish those who've done well?  That's the last thing we want to do.  It's a question of, How can we afford to continue to make the investments that are going to propel America forward?” Obama said in response.

To do so, the president argued for returning to the tax rates of the 1990s. “During that period, the rich got richer, the middle class expanded, people rose out of poverty because everybody was doing well,” Obama said.

“If we don't get our fiscal house in order in a way that is fair and equitable so that everybody feels like they have responsibilities to not only themselves and their family, but also to the country that's given them so much opportunity, we're going to have problems,” Obama said Monday.

The president’s plan to reduce the deficit by more than $2 trillion in new tax increases and entitlement reforms has been met with stern opposition from Republicans who have said the president’s proposals amount to “class warfare.” In response, Obama has publicly drawn a stark contrast between himself and his congressional rivals in an attempt to force Republicans to align with corporations and the rich.

As he has with all of his events to sell his jobs plan, the president concluded the town hall by urging the audience to tell Congress to pass the American Jobs Act. “I need everybody here to be, you know, speaking out on behalf of the things that you care about and the values that made this country great, and to say to folks who you've elected -- say to them:  We expect you to act responsibly, and not act in terms of short-term political interests; act in terms of what's going to be good for all of us over the long term,” he said.

The president will attend seven campaign events during his western swing this week in an effort to raise campaign funds before the close of the quarter on Sept. 30.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Poll: Rick Perry Still Leads GOP Field of Candidates

Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Rick Perry delivered a shaky debate performance last week and unexpectedly lost the Florida GOP Straw Poll, but the first poll conducted after the weekend shows the Texas governor still leads the Republican field.

In a CNN/ORC International Poll conducted between Friday and Sunday, Perry came out on top, with 28 percent of Republicans and independents saying they support the Texas governor.  Perry was followed by Mitt Romney at 21 percent. Newt Gingrich rose to third in the poll, garnering 10 percent, while Ron Paul, Herman Cain and Sarah Palin each received 7 percent. Rounding out the bottom of the pack were Michele Bachmann at 4 percent, Rick Santorum at 3 percent and Jon Huntsman at 1 percent.

Without Palin in the mix, Perry’s stock rose slightly, taking in 30 percent of support while Romney received 22 percent and Gingrich received 11 percent.

The poll also tested hypothetical two-way matchups between the candidates and President Obama. It revealed that Republican and Republican-leaning independents believe Romney is the best matchup against Obama, with a nearly even race – 49 percent for Obama and 48 percent for Romney.  However, Obama holds a 5-point margin over Perry, 51 percent to 46 percent.

The phone poll was conducted from Sept.  23-25 with 1,010 adults, including 447 Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. The margin of error was 3 points.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Could Sarah Palin Get in the Race This Week?

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- This is the week Sarah Palin will tell the world her  intentions whether or not she'll run for president in 2012 -- or at least that’s what she indicated to ABC News’ Jake Tapper at the Iowa State Fair last month, telling him September was "practically speaking...kind of a drop-dead timeline" when it comes to "jumping in the ring."

With only five days left in the month, that means this week is the "drop-dead timeline," right? Not exactly. Since her early August trip to Iowa, she’s backed off on her self-imposed date, but as the days, debates, and campaign events creep by and the state filing deadlines loom, the window may be closing.

Since marking the September “drop-dead timeline” at Ames, she’s wavered on a date in interviews on Fox News.  Two weeks ago, Greta Van Susteren asked Palin about a “drop-dead date” and the former Alaska governor demurred.

“I’m not going to let the media tell me or dictate when a drop-dead date should be. So I don’t have an answer for you on that one yet,” Palin said, adding that she’s “engaged internally with my family in discussions. And I still have that same old dopey same old answer that I’m sure you guys are getting sick of hearing, and that is: I’m still thinking about it, praying about it, contemplating,” Palin told Van Susteren. “I’m sick of giving the same answer, believe me. I’m anxious to give an answer and get on with life one way or the other.”

Then last week, Palin told Fox News' Sean Hannity that she’s “still considering the time factor,” but that “it is going to be an unconventional type of election process.”

When Hannity suggested to the former vice presidential nominee that November is the month she would have to announce because of legal filing deadlines, she conceded that “legally you do, because you have to start getting your ducks lined up to have your name on these ballots.”

Not even her staff is aware of whether she will pull the trigger or not. According to a source with knowledge of the SarahPAC inner-circle, just as it was six months ago, she has not made an announcement to her staff about her intentions.  As the days creep toward state filing deadlines, no new staff has been hired. Her core group of about six staffers runs the organization while a volunteer group completely independent of SarahPAC called Organize4Palin or O4P tries to lay the groundwork in states, most notably Iowa.

Although time will ultimately tell, the same source told ABC News that “there is a developing consensus among former aides with knowledge of SarahPAC that she has decided not to run.”

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Chris Christie Kicks Off Fundraising Swing with St. Louis Stop

Governor's Office/Tim Larsen(CLAYTON, Mo.) -- With speculation swirling that he might reconsider his decision not to enter the Republican presidential race, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Monday kicked off a weeklong cross-country GOP fundraising swing with a private event at a Ritz-Carlton just outside of St. Louis.

Hotel security kicked ABC News out of the venue before the event had started, noting that it was closed to press. The event was held in a second-floor room known as "The Boardroom," with a long wooden table that appeared to seat approximately 15 people.

Outside the hotel a small group of about 20 union protesters gathered momentarily before Christie's arrival, chanting "Just say no to Christie's lies, defend our right to organize." But they quickly dispersed after only a matter of minutes.

As ABC's Michael Falcone has reported, sources close to Christie have said that "the pressure from donors and other people has intensified" and the "volume of calls" urging Christie to run have increased, but that "nothing has changed."

If Christie decides to run for president, he won’t be the first person to jump into a race after saying that he would not.  After all, when Tim Russert asked Barack Obama when he was still a senator whether he would run in 2008, Obama said, “I will not.”

In an interview with ABC’s Diane Sawyer on April 6, Christie said, “I don’t feel ready in my heart to be president. And unless I do, I don’t have any right offering myself to the people of this country.”

After three events in the St. Louis area Monday and Tuesday, Christie will head to California before wrapping up his whirlwind tour later this week in Louisiana.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Obama Attacks Perry, GOP at California Fundraiser

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images(WOODSIDE, Calif.) -- In some of the sharpest comments he’s made this election cycle, President Obama attacked Texas Gov. Rick Perry and recent Republican presidential debate audiences Sunday night at a fundraiser in Woodside, California.

“Some of you here may be folks who actually used to be Republicans but are puzzled by what’s happened to that party, are puzzled by what’s happening to that party.  I mean, has anybody been watching the debates lately?” Obama said, according to a reporter who was there.

“You’ve got a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change,” Obama told donors referring to Perry.

“It’s true.  You’ve got audiences cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don’t have health care and booing a service member in Iraq because they’re gay.  That’s not reflective of who we are,” said Obama.

“This is a choice about the fundamental direction of our country.  2008 was an important direction.  2012 is a more important election,” he added.

Obama also took aim at conservative media.  He told donors that if their friends and neighbors are reading the Wall Street Journal editorial page or watching Fox News they need to talk to “push back” on their “inadequate information.”

Obama made his remarks at a high-dollar fundraiser held at the Symantec chairman’s house in Woodside, Calif.  The president is on the West Coast raising campaign money.

Ticket prices for this particular fundraiser started at $2,500.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Is a Government Shutdown Looming?

ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Once again Congress is tied up in knots over how to fund the government -- complete with dire warnings that a critical agency, in this case FEMA, is about to run out of money and that the entire government could shut down by week’s end.

Congress can’t seem to do anything anymore without going into crisis mode, but top Democrats and Republicans in Congress tell ABC News there is no doubt that this will be resolved.

Here’s what’s going on:

Congress must pass a funding bill before the fiscal year ends on Friday.  FEMA also needs emergency disaster money to keep it running for the rest of this year -- until the end of the week.

The showdown, which will play out with a Senate vote Monday at 5:30 p.m., boils down to this: House Republicans passed a temporary funding bill last week but they off-set FEMA’s emergency money with about $1.5 billion in spending cuts to two alternative energy loan programs.  Senate Democrats voted down the House bill because they oppose those cuts.

The off-setting cuts for the FEMA emergency funding represent a tiny portion of the overall bill to keep the government funded, and this is the only part of the bill in dispute.

There are three ways this dispute can be resolved -- and will be resolved by Monday evening:

1. At 5:30, if Senate Democrats get the 60 votes they need to pass the bill without the off-setting cuts, the House will be forced to come back from recess and pass the new bill with Democratic support.

2. At 5:30, if Senate Democrats fail to get the 60 votes, they would be forced to pass the House bill and accept the cuts they don’t like.

3. The entire issue could be resolved before the 5:30 vote.  How?  The administration is working to find accounting maneuvers that would enable it to find enough money to keep FEMA running for the rest of the week without more cash from Congress.  If that happens, there will no longer be a need to have off-setting cuts and the dispute will be over.

At any rate, ABC News has been told FEMA will likely not run out of money on Tuesday as it previously warned.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio