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Jennifer Harper

Jennifer Harper

jharper@washingtontimes.com

Jennifer Harper wrote the daily Inside the Beltway column for The Washington Times.

Articles by Jennifer Harper

Inside the Beltway

There's a reason why even he-man Texas Gov. Rick Perry is leery of incoming presidential candidate debates, perhaps: "Politician" is one of the scariest jobs in the nation, say thousands of Americans asked to rank professions according to such factors as "imminent danger," "public speaking" and " potential humiliation." Politician is No. 15 on the list, after such careers as exterminator, stand-up comedian, animal control officer and stunt person - all of which might showcase workplace skills that politicians might need, come to think of it.

October 27, 2011
"Politics is about momentum; politics is about expectations," says former New Mexico Gov. Gary E. Johnson, a dark-horse candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

Inside the Beltway

Republican presidential hopeful Gary E. Johnson is "presidential" in his own fashion. He's no Mitt Romney, but then, sometimes Mitt Romney is no Mitt Romney, either.

October 26, 2011
Gov. Chris Christie's popularity has dipped since the New Jersey Republican decided not to run for president and instead endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Inside the Beltway

ObamaCare may not be a popular topic at the moment, but ObamaHair is proving to be a crowd pleaser on the never-ending White House campaign trail.

October 25, 2011
Jay Leno will play host to President Obama on NBC's "Tonight Show" Tuesday night. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway

Vegas, Hollywood - another day, another White House showbiz moment to promote President Obama's most public-pleasing policies, not to mention his 2012 re-election campaign.

October 24, 2011
A cookbook published by the American Cancer Society´s Northern Virginia division as a fundraiser in 1983 included "President Reagan's Favorite Macaroni and Cheese." The recipe was contributed by first lady Nancy Reagan. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway

As a complex week full of discord looms, consider "President Reagan's Favorite Macaroni and Cheese," a recipe shared by "Mrs. Ronald Reagan, Washington, D.C., Wife of the President" in a spiral-bound community cookbook published by the American Cancer Society's Northern Virginia division in 1983.

October 23, 2011
Lisa Simeone was fired as a freelance radio host of a documentary that airs on NPR affiliates after she became a spokeswoman for Occupy Wall Street.

Inside the Beltway

Incivility does not connote power or political prowess. Republican presidential hopefuls should remember that petty potshots - while amusing to the press - do not wear well with the weary, worried American public. Democratic strategists can easily exploit such moments as a symbol of (a) Republican disunity (b) Republican boorishness (c) Republican immaturity. And alas. Polished, studied Mitt Romney has abandoned is steady behavior by sparring with Texas Gov. Rick Perry; the rivals grappled before 5.5. million prime-time viewers on camera at the Republican debate in Las Vegas, and now duel with scathing campaign ads.

October 20, 2011
Even with 312 days still to go until party time in Tampa, Fla., the 2012 Republican National Committee has already unveiled its logo, website and countdown clock. (Republican National Committee)

Inside the Beltway

Mitt Romney's height could win him the 2012 presidential nomination. Just blame it on "caveman instincts to ensure survival" that are ingrained in the American public.

October 18, 2011
"Mr. Las Vegas" Wayne Newton will be CNN's special guest at the glitzy Republican primary debate in Nevada on Tuesday night. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway

The inner workings of the Occupy Wall Street protest movement are emerging: Is it a spontaneous grass-roots group aglow with 1960s-style righteousness or a well-organized machine with much infrastructure?

October 17, 2011
Adm. Eric T. Olson received the OSS Society's William J. Donovan Award.

Inside the Beltway

Polished, agile Mitt Romney is a pollster's darling.

October 16, 2011
Forget a President Obama mask. Angry Birds costumes are the most "sought after" Halloween look of 2011, says online retailer Buy.com. (Image from Buy.com)

Inside the Beltway

Forget the President Obama mask. The most "sought after" adult Halloween costume of 2011 are Angry Birds.

October 13, 2011
** FILE ** Sen. Thad Cochran (left), Mississippi Republican, is pictured with then-Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a fellow GOP member, in 2011. (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway

The mainstream media has a crush on Mitt Romney. Wooed by his studied civility, canny debate and polished oratory, the press is reveling in the Romney brand, which has a valuable shelf life in an endless campaign.

October 12, 2011
Pat Boone will be honored Wednesday by members of Congress and the 60 Plus Association, a seniors group that espouses fiscal sensibility and small government. (60 Plus Association)

Inside the Beltway

Gentleman crooner and conservative stalwart Pat Boone is in the nation's capital on Wednesday to be feted by no less than 40 members of Congress for his steadfast support of the 60 Plus Association, a non-partisan seniors advocacy group with a free enterprise, less government, lower taxes approach to myriad issues.

October 11, 2011
Country crooner Hank Williams, Jr. is now selling "Hank Williams for President" T-shirts to answer critics upset after the singer compared President Obama to Hitler. (HankJr.com)

Inside the Beltway

The ongoing Wall Street protests get such cozy press.

October 10, 2011
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer will attend the "Women Working For Change" conference next month. (Broadside Books)

Inside the Beltway

Quick quiz: Who's behind "Women Working For Change"? Progressives and hippies? This upcoming political training conference was organized by Project GOPink.

October 9, 2011
ESPN pulled the plug on Hank Williams Jr.'s opening for "Monday Night Football" because of comments he made on "Fox & Friends." (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway

"Is the Hank Williams Jr. incident a parallel to the Dixie Chicks?" asks Radio-Info.com, an insider site for the radio industry.

October 6, 2011
Fox News founder Roger Ailes raised eyebrows when he said he hired Sarah Palin as a contributor because, "She was hot and got good ratings." (Associated Press)

Inside the Beltway

Though she's not running for president, Fox News founder Roger Ailes still drew gleeful reactions from liberal journalists for explaining his decision to hire Sarah Palin as a contributor because, "She was hot and got good ratings."

October 5, 2011
Univision allegedly tried to strong-arm Sen. Marco Rubio by saying it would not air a report about the 1987 drug arrest of the Florida Republican's brother-in-law if he gave an exclusive interview.

Inside the Beltway

They're bowing out of one debate, anyway. Republican hopefuls Rep. Michele Bachmann, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman Jr. have decided to boycott an upcoming presidential debate on Univision after news emerged that the Spanish language network allegedly tried to strong-arm Sen. Marco Rubio.

October 4, 2011
Talk-radio host Michael Savage has seen his debut novel, "Abuse of Power," reach as high as No. 4 on the New York Times best-seller list for hardcover fiction. (MichaelSavage.com) ** FILE **

Inside the Beltway

The American public, apparently, has a taste for power fiction, tinged with terrorism and intrigue, with an old school, rough and tumble journalist as its hero.

October 3, 2011
Van Jones' "Take Back the American Dream" conference gets under way in Washington on Monday. "You are going to see an American fall, an American autumn, just like we saw the Arab Spring," Mr. Jones told MSNBC. (OurFuture.org)

Inside the Beltway

Former "green jobs czar" Van Jones hopes to ally the progressive cause with the middle class, using a page or two from the tea party playbook, perhaps.

October 2, 2011