Rick Perry Interviews...

John Hawkins (of RWN) recently did an interview with Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry. Here is the link to the text of the interview. The topic is illegal immigration.

Erick Erickson (of RedState) along with Human Events also did a sit-down interview with Rick Perry. There are four segments of the interview on YouTube:

#1 - Economy and Flat Tax

#2 - Energy and the Super Commitee

#3 - Federalism and Immigration

#4 - Foreign Policy and Why Perry Got Into Politics

More about the economic plan via Ed Morrisey (of HotAir) via a conference call.

Forbes Magazine analyzes the flat tax plan and it's effect on health care.

Steve Forbes predicts Perry to win the nomination.

Fox News contributor Kevin McCullough predicted the same last summer. He still believes it to be true now.

Gator at RedState posts more on Perry.

Romney...

Among many, many, many reasons why I will never vote for Romney (even if he should win the Republican nomination, and no matter who his running mate ends up being)... THIS is why I would either vote 3rd Party or not cast a vote at all for President in Nov 2012:

(via Ace and Hot Air)

Mitt Romney was firm and direct with the abortion rights advocates sitting in his office nine years ago, assuring the group that if elected Massachusetts governor, he would protect the state’s abortion laws.

Then, as the meeting drew to a close, the businessman offered an intriguing suggestion — that he would rise to national prominence in the Republican Party as a victor in a liberal state and could use his influence to soften the GOP’s hard-line opposition to abortion.

He would be a “good voice in the party” for their cause, and his moderation on the issue would be “widely written about,” he said, according to detailed notes taken by an officer of the group, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts.

“You need someone like me in Washington,” several participants recalled Romney saying that day in September 2002, an apparent reference to his future ambitions.

Romney made similar assurances to activists for gay rights and the environment, according to people familiar with the discussions, both as a candidate for governor and then in the early days of his term.

Sorry, Mitt. I've had enough of slick, polished, squishy, flip-floppers.

I have not been impressed with the field. Of those who are running:

Perry first (has the fewest negatives for me, though not perfect... then again, who is?).

Cain second (although he's beginning to fade for me).

Maybe even Gingrich (given what he did with Contract For America from 1994 thru the rest of the 90s, but gosh he has a lot of baggage).

Santorum can't win, but he knows his stuff.

Bachman, Huntsman, Johnson and Ron Paul all are jokes.

Let's have some fun with the #OWS protesters...

James O'Keefe up first.

Army vet and trial lawyer Kurt Schlichter is up next.

Then Peter Schiff gives a metaphorical 1-2 punch here and here.

Oh, and by the way... how many of those OWS protestors are actually part of the 1% they're protesting against??? Detailed arrest records tell it all.

And this pic cracks me up 'cause it's sooooo right on the money (literally as well as figuratively):

hehehehe

For regular and detailed updates & reports about the #OWS fiasco, just go to Gateway Pundit.

Thursday Thrills...

So the markets got restless after Greece decided to have a referendum vote AFTER they got the bailout okay'ed by the Eurozone heads (and details of the bailout unveiled that it's not that great of a bailout anyway).

Well, the Eurozone heads then said, "you're not getting any of the bailout money until AFTER the December 4 vote."

Greece, then, decides NOT to go ahead with the referendum vote, with their prime minister saying:

"Elections as a solution, today and at this moment, would mean a much greater danger of bankruptcy and of course exit from the euro."

There you have it! Elections are a BAD thing!

*WOW*

Unemployment numbers aren't really that much better for last month.

The Fed keeps things steady, but lower their forecasts for 2011 through 2013.

Officials now expect the [U.S.] economy to grow by a tepid 2.5 percent to 2.9 percent next year, down from the rosier 3.3 percent to 3.7 percent they were expecting in June, with inflation muted over the forecast horizon.

They see the unemployment rate going no lower than 8.5 percent to 8.7 percent by the end of 2012, up from the more sanguine 7.8 percent to 8.2 percent range envisioned in June.

National average for 30-year mortgage interest rates fell back down to 4% (just off of it's all-time low of 3.94% one month ago).

Debit Fees to Disappear...

Chase, Citi and others have changed their minds about charging fees to their customers for using their debit cards to access their own money.

JPMorgan Chase has decided it will not charge customers who use their debit cards for purchases, joining a growing list of banks that will not follow the lead of financial giant Bank of America, which announced a $5 monthly fee last month.

JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, U.S. Bank, PNC Financial, and Key Bank have confirmed they are not planning to charge customers debit card fees when they make purchases.

JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the country by total assets, began testing a $3 fee in parts of Wisconsin and Georgia in February. However, the bank decided it won't roll out the fee to the rest of the country, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

A person familiar with Chase confirmed with ABC News that it is not planning to charge debit card fees due to customer preferences.

Bank of America then stated that there were going to "revamp" their plan to charge $5/month to customers:

Bank of America Corp, after receiving heavy public criticism for a planned $5-per-month debit card fee, is likely to give customers more ways to avoid the fee, a person familiar with the bank's plans said Friday.

The second-biggest U.S. bank is reworking its plans as rivals Wells Fargo & Co and JP Morgan Chase & Co have decided not to charge monthly fees, ending test programs in certain states.

Bank of America is likely to allow many customers to sidestep the fee by taking measures such as maintaining minimum balances, having paychecks direct deposited, or using Bank of America credit cards, the person said.

Under earlier plans, customers might have needed balances totaling $20,000 across all their Bank of America accounts to skip the fee.

Then, today, BofA said this:

Bank of America is nixing its plans to charge a $5 debit card fee.

That's 1 for the little guy, 0 for the banks.

What Goes Up... Must Come Down...

The stock markets have been in volatile flux for months. It dropped down to steep lows in the summer, then worked it's way back, then dropped right back down again. Last week, the markets got all giddy after the "wonderful" Euro deal and saw the Dow peak to approx. 12300 (the other markets also when ga-ga).

Thennnnnnn reality kicked in.

Redstate reports here. Reuters analyzes, as does the AP.

And the Dow right now is at 11655.

No surprise from me.