2012 GOP Convention-Bring it to Miami!

Well, Miami Beach is in the running along with San Diego:

SAN DIEGO - The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Friday took its first tentative steps toward choosing a location for the 2012 national convention, selecting the committee that will evaluate cities that wish to host the quadrennial gathering.

But in picking the four men and four women who will visit and evaluate the cities, Republicans added additional hurdles for a dozen states if they wish to host the national convention, thanks to a rule aimed at fairness and impartiality.

The rule, informally known as the Sharon Day Rule after Florida's national committeewoman, prohibits members of the site selection committee from representing states that will be submitting bids to host the GOP.

Michigan national committeewoman Holly Hughes, an early supporter of RNC Chairman Michael Steele, will be chairwoman of the site selection committee. The RNC will therefore not be able to hold its convention in Detroit, where Ronald Reagan accepted the party's nomination in 1980.

Ohio is another state that likely will not see a return of the national convention. The GOP has held two conventions in Cleveland and one in Cincinnati, in the 19th century, but Buckeye State GOP chairman Pat DeWine, a member of the site selection committee, would have to step down if either city submits a new bid.

Republicans are also unlikely to return to New Orleans, as Louisiana's national committeewoman is an alternate on the committee.

And though they have never held Republican national conventions, Milwaukee, Denver and Atlanta are all out of the running, as Wisconsin, Colorado and Georgia are represented among site selection members. The District of Columbia, Connecticut, Utah, Alaska and South Carolina also have representatives on the committee.

The committee is seen as a plum perk for RNC members. Committee members travel to cities that have submitted bids to host the convention, where they are wined and dined while making their evaluations.

Though just 11 months have passed since the 2008 convention, held in St. Paul, Minn., some are beginning to move behind the scenes to position their favored cities.

Meeting this week in San Diego, the RNC has a chance to scope out the self-described America's Finest City. California Republican Party Chairman Ron Nehring, who lives near San Diego, has already approached Mayor Jerry Sanders (R) about returning to San Diego for the 2012 convention, 16 years after ex-Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) accepted the party's nomination here.

Florida, Day's home state, has made a conscious effort to stay off the committee in hopes of returning the convention to the Sunshine State. Republicans and Democrats both held their conventions in Miami Beach in 1972, and the GOP held its 1968 convention there as well.

Why would you want to return to the city that nominated Bob Dole? I supported him wholeheartedly in '96 and even attended a campaign event at Florida International University but come on...

Let's bring the soiree down here to the sweet, alluring confines of my hometown, the Magic City, which produced for us two stunning victories for Richard Milhous Nixon in '68 and '72!

Bibi to Palestine a la Nixon?

Via Insrapundit:

Policy speech to outline strict Israeli conditions:

• Any Palestinian state must be demilitarized, without an air force, full-fledged army or heavy weapons.

• Palestinians may not sign treaties with powers hostile to Israel.

• A Palestinian state must allow Israeli civilian and military aircraft unfettered access to Palestinian airspace, allow Israel to retain control of the airwaves and to station Israeli troops on a future state’s eastern and southern borders.

• Palestinians must accept Israel as a Jewish state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a major shift, will accept the notion of a Palestinian state — a policy pushed by the Obama administration but resisted until now by Mr. Netanyahu, Israeli officials and Americans briefed on the Israeli leader’s thinking said.

The policy reversal, which is expected to go public this weekend, could help restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and allow the Israeli leader to steer a course between Mr. Obama’s view and those of his own hawkish base.

The Israeli and American officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Washington Times on Thursday that Mr. Netanyahu, in a major speech Sunday, will, however, set Israeli parameters for recognizing Palestinian sovereignty.

The officials said Mr. Netanyahu will emphasize Palestinian obligations under the “road map” to peace in the Middle East — a three-phase process for negotiations initiated by the George W. Bush administration, which so far has not been followed.

Any discussion of a two-state solution and negotiations on so-called final-status issues — including the borders of a future Palestinian state would represent a major modification of Mr. Netanyahu’s campaign platform in which he promised a “bottom up” approach to negotiations focusing on economic issues.

Read original Washington Times article here.