Russian President Warns Against US Action in Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West against taking action in Syria but also stated that Russia “doesn’t exclude” supporting a United Nations resolution on military strikes if it is proved that Syria used poisonous gas on its own people.

It has been reported that more than 1,400 people died in the August 21 attack outside of Damascus.

From the Associated Press:

In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press and Russia’s state Channel 1 television, Putin said Moscow has provided some components of the S-300 air defense missile system to Syria but has frozen further shipments. He suggested that Russia may sell the potent missile systems elsewhere if Western nations attack Syria without U.N. Security Council backing.

The interview Tuesday night at Putin’s country residence outside the Russian capital was the only one he granted prior to the summit of G-20 nations in St. Petersburg, which opens Thursday. The summit was supposed to concentrate on the global economy but now looks likely to be dominated by the international crisis over allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons in the country’s civil war.

Barack Obama Re-Elected President of the United States

Barack Obama was elected to a second presidential term Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Mitt Romney.

As of midnight (PT) tonight, Obama has secured 303 electoral votes while Romney has 206. The state of Florida is still close to call.

Obama appears as if he will also win the popular vote as well, with a nearly 2 million vote lead and 50% of the overall vote, compared to Romney’s 48%.

Secret Videos of Mitt Romney Surface

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, during a private fundraiser captured on video, told a group of donors how he really feels about the election. He joked about his money and that he would have a better shot at victory if he were Latino.

From Reuters:

“It’s not elegantly stated. Let me put it that way,” Romney said at a hastily arranged news conference in California to respond to his latest stumble on the campaign trail.

In the video Romney was shown telling fundraisers he has no way of attracting support from 47 percent of U.S. voters because they are dependent on government and pay no taxes.

“I’m sure I could state it more clearly and in a more effective way than I did in a setting like that,” Romney said.

$4 Gas a Reality for Many Americans

$4/gallon for gas? If only I could get it that cheap!!! I paid $4.59 just this morning in the Silicon Valley…

Sadly, the price of an average gallon of regular gas surpassed the $3.90 mark yesterday, which has the price of gas within 10 cents of the $4 threshold. Crazy!

From CNN Money:

The current price compares to just below $3.70 a month ago, and just below $3.59 a year ago.

Gasoline averages more than $4 a gallon in 10 states and the District of Columbia. At $4.55 a gallon, Hawaii has the nation’s highest pump price.

Prices are less than a nickel away from $4 a gallon in Nevada and Wisconsin.

Wyoming has the nation’s lowest gas prices, averaging nearly $3.51 a gallon.

Mitt Romney Set to Announce Presidential Bid

Sources close to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and have confirmed that he will formally declare his candidacy for White House next week and he’ll make his announcement in New Hampshire.

It should be an interesting primary over the next year with anticipated opponents including Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich.

From CNN:

This will be the second time this spring Romney is using New Hampshire as a backdrop to make news. On April 11, Romney announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee with a video he taped that day at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. The Granite State holds the first primary in the presidential primary and caucus calendar and is considered a must win contest for Romney.

“Republicans in the Granite State have been closely watching Gov. Romney for 10 years since he was elected in Massachusetts in 2002. He needs to win in a state where voters know him best,” says Rich Galen, a Republican strategist who advised Fred Thompson during his 2008 GOP presidential bid, and who is the author of Mullings.com, an on-line column.

Osama Bin Laden Dead

The mastermind of the worst terrorist attack on American soil has been killed.

In a speech made this evening by President Barack Obama, U.S. special forces have killed Osama bin Laden.

Now…let’s see the photos…

From MSNBC:

“Justice has been done,” the president declared as crowds formed outside the White House to celebrate, singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “We Are the Champions,” NBC News reported.

Obama said the 54-year-old bin Laden, whom he called a terrorist “responsible for the murder of thousands of American men, women and children,” was killed in Pakistan earlier in the day after a firefight in a military operation that was based on U.S. intelligence. Other U.S. officials said one of bin Laden’s sons and two of his most trusted couriers also were killed, as was an unidentified woman who was used as a human shield.