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Santorum Drops Out of Republican Primary Race

In a surprise announcement, Rick Santorum dropped out of the race for the Republican primary bid today at an event in Gettysburg, Pa.

Santorum had previously pledged to continue through the primaries until the Pennsylvania primary, which will be held on April 24, but reconsidered today after poll numbers show that he was not ahead in the polls in his home state. His daughter Bella’s ailing health was also cited as a reason for his withdrawal from the race.

According to Yahoo News, Santorum called Mitt Romney to inform him of his decision to pull out.

With Santorum gone, Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul are the only three candidates left in the primaries. Gingrich, who is millions of dollars in debt from his campaign, said that Romney is “far and away the most likely” Republican nominee.

Paul, who has trailed behind in the polls, is adamant that he will stay in the race until the end. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Paul reiterated his stance.

The 2012 Republican Presidential Primaries

The presidential primary season is reaching its halfway point. On April 4 Mitt Romney swept the GOP presidential primaries in Maryland, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia, bringing him another step closer to securing the Republican nomination and the general election in November.

With another three primaries now over, it’s a good time to look at the race for the Republican presidential nomination as it stands now.

Who won which states so far:

Mitt Romney – New Hampshire, Florida, Nevada, Maine, Michigan, Arizona, Wyoming, Washington, Alaska, Ohio, Virginia, Vermont, Massachusetts, Idaho, Northern Marianas, Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Illinois, Maryland, Wisconsin, District of Columbia

Rick Santorum – Iowa, Missouri (non-binding primary), Minnesota, Colorado, Oklahoma, Tennessee, North Dakota, Kansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana

Newt Gingrich – South Carolina, Georgia

Ron Paul – Virgin Islands

Latest delegate tally:

Mitt Romney – 655
Rick Santorum – 278
Newt Gingrich – 135
Ron Paul – 51

Though Romney boasts a clear lead, he still needs a total of 1,144 delegates to secure the nomination.

Also on Tuesday, President Obama formally clinched the Democratic nomination.

The next primaries will be held on April 24 with Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and Delaware.

Sources:

The Washington Post, “Mitt Romney wins Wisconsin, Maryland, D.C. primaries”

Fox News, “Romney sweeps 3 primary contests, eyes general election battle”

2012 Presidential election schedule

Virginia wind turbine approved for construction by Bob McDonnell

Virginia is in the process of approval to build a 479 foot tall wind turbine off the coast of Cape Charles in the Chesapeake bay. If the turbine passes review from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard, the project could be complete as early as 2013, making Virginia home of the first wind turbine generator in the states.

“This is an important next step in developing all of Virginia’s domestic energy resources to help power our nation’s economy and puts Virginia at the forefront of clean energy technology development,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said in a statement announcing the marine commission’s unanimous vote.

The purpose of the project is to test the prototype developed by Gamesa Energy USA LLC’s new offshore WTG technology, the G11X. If proven successful, the prototype could be transitioned to worldwide markets by 2015. The life expectancy of the prototype is projected to be 20 years.

McDonnell touts the project as a step forward in his all of the above energy approach, in which he plans to increase wind, oil, coal, nuclear and renewable energy sources to make Virginia the energy capital of the east coast.

The turbine will provide up to five megawatts of clean renewable windpower to the Virginia transmission grid for public use. The governor hopes that this will decrease use of fossil fuel and improve Virginia air quality.

According to the The Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the structure will not have a negative impact on the environment. Instead, fish will be attracted to the shade and shelter, increasing recreational fishing opportunities.

“This is an exciting project,” said VMRC Acting Commissioner Jack Travelstead in an article posted on the Virginia governor’s website. “This will bring jobs, energy, important new scientific information and enhanced fishing opportunities for recreational anglers.”

Uninformed Consent: The other Republican plan to give Mason students the shaft

Nasty stuff happens when you let other people think for you. Especially if those people happen to be House Speaker John Boehner and his allies, who are still mourning the death of a bill this month that would have let them approve the Keystone Pipeline XL.

But every Mason student should be dancing on the bill’s grave.

The Keystone Pipeline XL is an anti-green project, and when I say “green” I mean your money.

According to an independent study by Cornell University, if Keystone XL is ever built, your gas could cost you between 10 and 20 cents more per gallon.

Speaker Boehner would prefer you didn’t know that.

“We can’t wait for this project to get started,” Boehner wrote in a recent letter to President Obama.

Boehner is happy to let the public think that this project is a brand new pipeline and a solution to high gas prices.

What Mr. Boehner isn’t telling you is that the Keystone Pipeline already exists.

The Keystone Pipeline was built almost two years ago. As you read this, it’s moving oil cheaply from a source in Canada to refineries in Illinois and Nebraska. Without that oil, your gas would be even more expensive.

Boehner doesn’t want you to know that, because he’s part of a plan to ship that oil overseas.

This plan is called, “The Keystone XL project.” If approved, the project will allow the pipeline’s owner, TransCanada Corp., to extend the already-built Keystone Pipeline all the way to Texas. Oil once bound for refineries in the heartland will end up in two major ports, Houston and Port Arthur.

Then it’s just a short boat ride through the Gulf of Mexico and/or the Panama Canal, and suddenly we’re paying a lot more for gas here in Fairfax.

Canadian oil companies don’t like that the Keystone has made your gas cheaper. Extending the pipeline to ports means they can sell the gas to other countries instead, creating an artificial shortage here that will only end when you’re willing to devote whole paychecks to your fuel tank.

The oil will be exported, it’s a free market.

American corporations find it profitable to export 1.6 million barrels of oil out of the country every day. Canadian oil companies aren’t going to feel guilty doing the same.

John Boehner and company won’t feel guilty either: I’ll close by clarifying their motives.

By reading this article, you know more about The Keystone XL project than most Americans. If Boehner exploits that ignorance carefully, it could translate into a Republican victory in a tough election year.

Let’s not forget the money. TransCanada and the oil companies who use Keystone are publicly traded corporations.

If you’re a wealthy politician like John Boehner, you could make a fortune buying stock now and selling it after you help approve the Keystone XL scheme.

But what if you’re a regular Mason student? All Keystone XL offers you is higher gas prices.

Join the fight to keep your gas affordable. This issue will resurface and the pro-Mason side needs to refortify its defenses. Call Jim Webb, the VA Senator who joined Boehner on this issue. Tell him you know what’s up, that you’re not fooled. Tell him that Mason students think with their brains, and not with their Boehners.

Students less excited about upcoming presidential election

At a politically charged school such as Mason, the excitement for the 2012 election should be visible.

For the 2008 election, there was an increase of young voters. Many Mason students were excited to vote, many for the first time.

This election may not attract the same attention.

“No one’s talking about it,” said Mallory Wuhrer, a Mason senior and communication major. “I’m sure people will talk about it in the fall when it kicks into gear, but not now.”

Some students appear to be frustrated with the entire election process.

“The American public has so little trust in our government,” said Kate Gohari a senior and government major. “We’re in gridlock right now. Nobody is coming together.”

Other students already know who they will vote for, regardless of the Republican nominee.

“I will be voting for Obama in the upcoming election,” said Alyssa Rajabi, a junior and communication major. “It seems like there isn’t a Republican candidate worthy enough of holding office.”

Mason strives to help students stay informed about the election, regardless of their political affiliation.

“Mason Votes provides a platform for student opinion and commentary on political issues,” said Colleen Wilson, a sophomore and communication major.

Wilson is an editor at Mason Votes, a student organization that updates students about election news.

“The point is less on how Mason Votes will get students out to the polls, and more on a reflection of the young perspective on political issues.”

To stay informed about election news, visit masonvotes.gmu.edu.

Profile: Mitt Romney

Born in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan on March 12, 1947, Mitt Romney is one of the candidates competing for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. He got his B.A. from Brigham Young University in 1971 and dual degrees from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School.

He has worked in both the public and private sectors, founding the investment firm Bain Capital in 1984 and later becoming CEO of its parent company, Bain & Company, in 1990. Despite a losing bid for a Massachusetts seat in the U.S. Senate in 1994, he was the Governor of Massachusetts from 2002-2007. He did not run for reelection, instead announcing that he would campaign for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential race, though he later lost the nomination to John McCain (R-Ariz).

He has served as Chairman of the Republican Governors Association (2006) and Chairman of Free & Strong America PAC (2008-present). He also helped organize the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.

He is married to Ann Romney, and they have five sons and sixteen grandchildren.

Sources: MittRomney.com, Washington Post

Profile: Rick Santorum

Born in Great Falls, Virginia, Rick Santorum is a former U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 and won a Senate seat four years later.

Since losing his bid for a third term in office in 2006, he has worked as a Fox News correspondent and written for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He also served for eight years on the Senate Armed Forces Committee.

He is a rising star in the Republican Party and a favorite among social conservatives.

With his wife Karen, he has seven children.

Sources: New York Times, RickSantorum.com

Profile: Ron Paul

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is making his third bid for president. He got his B.S. from Gettysburg College and his M.D. from Duke University in 1961. After graduating from college, he served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force. Before being elected to Congress during a special election in 1976, he worked as an obstetrics and gynecology physician.

He worked in Congress from 1976-77 and 1979-85 before leaving to return to his medical practice. In 1997, he returned to Congress, where he now serves. He has announced his intentions to retire from Congress after his current term.

In his first campaign to become President of the United States in 1988, Paul ran as the Libertarian presidential nominee, but he has run under the Republican party for both of his subsequent attempts.

He and his wife Carol have five children, eighteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Sources: MSNBC, RonPaul2012.com

Profile: Newt Gingrich

Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Newt Gingrich is a former Speaker of the House and Congressman from Georgia. With a bachelor’s degree from Emory University, he got both his master’s and his doctorate at Tulane University in New Orleans. He taught History and Environmental Studies at West Georgia College for eight years.

In 1978, he was elected to Congress, where he represented Georgia in the House for twenty years. He was Speaker of the House for four years, from 1994-1998.

He served on the Defense Policy Board under President George W. Bush and taught at Air University. He also taught officers from all five services as an honorary Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Professor at the National Defense University.

In 1999, Gingrich was appointed to the United States Commission on National Security/21st Century, the Hart/Rudman Commission.

He is chairman of the Gingrich Group, a communications and consulting firm; a political analyst for Fox News; founder and general chairman of the advocacy group American Solutions; founder of the Center for Health Transformation; a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute; a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution; and a prolific writer with 18 non-fiction books and novels to his credit.

He currently lives in McLean, Virginia, with his wife Callista. They have two daughters and two grandchildren.

Sources: Washington Post, Newt.org

Profile: Barack Obama

Photo courtesy of Ethan Bloch on flickr

Born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961 Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States. With a father from Kenya and a mother from Missouri, he was primarily raised by his grandmother.

In 1979 Obama attended Occidental College, then transferred to Columbia University where he graduated with a major in political science, with a specialty in international relations.

Obama also attended Harvard University, where he became the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated with a degree in law in 1991.

In 1996 he was first elected to the Illinois State Senate. In 2004, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served until successfully running for president in 2008.

He is the first African American U.S. president.

In October 2009 he won the Nobel Peace Prize, “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

He is married to Michelle Obama, and has two daughters, Sasha and Malia. The First Family also has a dog named Bo.

Sources: BarackObama.com, The Washington Post