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Johnson leads No. 11 Purdue past No. 10 Wisconsin

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – JaJuan Johnson had 20 points and E'Twaun Moore scored 19 to help No. 11 Purdue beat No. 10 Wisconsin 70-62 on Wednesday night.

Lewis Jackson added 18 points and five assists for the Boilermakers. Jackson scored just one point when Wisconsin beat Purdue 66-59 at home on Feb. 1.

Purdue (21-5, 10-3 Big Ten) moved into sole possession of second place in the conference. The Boilermakers, now 14-0 at home, host league leader Ohio State on Sunday.

Johnson, who has scored at least 20 points in nine of his past 10 Big Ten games, also had 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Jon Leuer scored 23 points and Jordan Taylor added 15 for the Badgers (19-6, 9-4), who had won four straight — including a victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State at home on Saturday.

Leuer and Taylor combined to shoot 16 for 27 from the field, but the rest of the Badgers were 8 for 32.

A pair of free throws by Ryan Evans cut Purdue's lead to 58-56 with 3:55 to play, but Moore stopped the rally with a floater, then a 3-pointer that pushed it back to 63-56 with just more than 2 minutes left.

Wisconsin led 10-4 before Purdue responded with a 14-4 run. Moore gave Purdue its first lead with a 3-pointer after Jackson flipped the ball back to him on a fast break.

Leuer picked up his second foul with 7:42 left in the first half, and Wisconsin didn't make a field goal for nearly 4 1/4 minutes. A layup and 3-pointer by Jackson helped Purdue push its lead to 29-22, and the Boilermakers led 31-25 at halftime.

Early in the second half, Jackson got a steal and started a fast break. Moore took off from the side, cocked the ball behind his head with his right hand and slammed it home to give Purdue a 35-27 lead and send the crowd into a frenzy.

Purdue took off on another fast break, and Kelsey Barlow scored and was fouled. He converted the free throw to give the Boilermakers a 44-34 lead.

Leuer kept Wisconsin in the game. He scored seven points during a 9-2 run that trimmed Purdue's lead to 53-47.

Christie plans D.C. rollout

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is bringing his blunt talk about fiscal responsibility to Washington this week in a speech sure to stoke speculation about his national prospects – which have intensified in recent weeks as some Republicans openly fret about the strength of their 2012 field.

Like Christie himself, the message he’ll deliver Wednesday at the conservative American Enterprise Institute is unorthodox and straightforward: he accuses both parties, Democrats and Republicans alike, of “timidity” in the face of the coming fiscal calamity.

“It’s hard, but it can be dealt with,” Christie said of his speech, previewed for POLITICO, which will focus on his battles with the state’s teachers unions. “I’m a little mystified as to why they’re not doing it, on either side. Because what we’ve shown in New Jersey is that the public is hungry for this.”

“I don’t think anybody’s ever accused me of being ambiguous. So I think when I get done, they’ll have a good idea of what I’m talking about,” he said.

Christie is candid about his willingness to consider national office in the future but insists he’ll be sitting out 2012, saying he is “challenged and content and excited to be the governor of New Jersey, and I got a lot of work to do here – we are far from being fixed.”

“I’m not running for president,” Christie, 48, said by phone from his desk in Trenton Monday. “And I don’t know anybody who would want somebody like me as their vice president.”

But that hasn’t stopped some Republicans from seeing Christie as the answer for a party that badly wants to beat President Barack Obama two years out. He drew 6 percent of the vote at last weekend’s Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll – tied for third, even though he’s not running.

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter has emerged as a vocal backer, telling Fox and Friends Monday morning, “I would say he’s the only Republican who could win.”

And it’s not just Coulter. One overriding sentiment at CPAC last week was that there was still a spot in the race for a newcomer. Some have pushed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Others have turned to Christie, a former U.S. attorney who unseated incumbent Jon Corzine in 2009 and who is enjoying a wave of GOP national celebrity.

Earlier in the year Christie turned down an opportunity to offer the Republican response to Obama’s State of the Union speech.

In a season of revolt against canned politics, his unapologetic swagger and decisiveness have registered with voters and activists.

“I am who I am,” he said. “To the extent that people are finding any type of attraction to what I’m doing, it’s mostly because it’s because I’m being straight with them. It’s not a bunch of prepared hooey, read off a teleprompter.”

AEI, which sometimes has to fill speeches with employees and interns, says the response to Christie has been so phenomenal that room reached its capacity of 300 less than a week after his speech was announced. Reporters and others are now being referred to a livestream on the Web.

Yet for all Christie’s demurrals on the presidential race, it’s clear his interests extend beyond Trenton. His staff revealed that he had hosted former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney last month for a large dinner at Drumthwacket, the governor’s mansion – and let it be known that it was Romney who had made the overture.

“Governor Romney asked if he could come see us, and I was more than happy to host him for dinner with some folks in my state who are political friends and allies of mine,” Christie said. “I’d do it with people I feel like I have a relationship with, and I have one with Governor Romney.”

And Christie clearly expects more such auditions.

“If there are other folks who I have developed a relationship with over time who are considering running for president … I’m happy to give them a forum,” he said. “As that happens, I’m not naïve enough to think that it won’t leak to all of you immediately.”

In an exclusive preview of his D.C. address, “It’s Time to Do the Big Things,” the governor reveled in his biggest controversy – his war with Garden State teachers’ unions.

It’s a fight where national Republicans are cheering him on and he knows it.

The speech, he said, is an effort to “let people around the country know about the experience we’re having in New Jersey, … and how I think it’s something that every governor is currently looking at, and that the federal government should be looking at.”

Christie explained his confrontational style, memorialized on various YouTube videos that have drawn hundreds of thousands of views.

“I was brand-new to the schoolyard last January,” he said. “And when I came on, I saw a whole bunch of people, laying on the ground – bloody. And one person standing up – that’s the bully. Some governors before me have decided they wanted to cozy up to the bully and make nice with him and hope that they don’t get punched.

“My attitude is: ‘You punch them, I punch you.’ That’s what I think I’ve been sent here to do, with regard to some of the public-sector unions. I don’t think you can allow public officials to be bullied around. If they want a fight, they’ll get one.”

Christie beat Corzine by less than 4 percent of the vote, but since then has marshaled public opinion to a surprising degree in a state that has gone Democratic in the past five presidential elections. In a Quinnipiac University poll taken early this month, 53 percent of respondents approved of his handling of the state budget, although those polled were evenly split on his handling of education.

The support for his tough medicine was unusually broad: 56 percent favored layoffs for state workers, 65 percent backed furloughs for state workers, 77 percent supported wage freezes for state workers, and 66 percent were for reducing pensions for new state workers.

“Whether that’s members of the state legislature, or people at my town-hall meetings, or folks who interview me on national television, I’m no different,” he said. “Some people are going to like it and some people aren’t, but they’re never gonna have to wonder what I think. They’re gonna know.”

The governor’s three big themes, foreshadowed in his “State of the State” address last month, will be “restoring fiscal sanity,” reforming entitlements and education reform.

Standard & Poor’s lowered New Jersey’s credit rating earlier this month because of what Christie said at the time was a “pension and benefit bomb.” Christie said that for his state, pension and health-benefit reform are the entitlement equivalents of the federal Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

“Nobody’s talking about it, so [Republicans and Democrats] both get incompletes,” Christie said. “Once again, the states are going to have to show leadership. I want to talk to people on a more national level about the fact that this is being done in New Jersey … as a way to show a pathway to it being done in other states and on the national level.”

Christie accused both parties of “timidity” on the big fiscal issues.

The Republican Party, he said, is “on probation” with the American people. “If we do this well, the country will reward us for being men and women of our word,” he said. “And if we don’t, then we’ll be punished they way people who break their word should be.”

“The way to get that message out to a lot of the states is to come to Washington, D.C., because you’ll get national coverage that they’ll read everywhere,” the governor added. “But also, if it leads to spurring courageous conversation in the United States Capitol, then that’ll be just another extra added benefit.”

Christie claims he already has “changed the way government is going to operate in New Jersey.”

“No longer is every program assumed to be funded, [or] that every funded program will get an increase,” he said. “We’ve actually turned that momentum around, not just for one year but now for two years in a row. That, I hope, will be the takeaway [from his budget address later this month]: ‘Wow, this isn’t just a flash in the pan. They’re actually going to continue to do this.”

Christie said his soulmates among governors include New York’s Andrew Cuomo (D), Wisconsin’s Scott Walker (R), Ohio’s John Kasich (R) and Susana Martinez (R), New Mexico’s first female governor.

“We are on the verge of real financial disaster,” Christie said. “It’s not papering it over anymore with help from Washington, D.C. It’s about us putting our own affairs in order, and Washington, D.C., giving us the flexibility [on Medicare and other issues] to do that.”

Asked about the GOP’s 2012 presidential field, Christie replied: “I, obviously, am very close to Governor [Haley] Barbour [of Mississippi], and we worked together closely at the [Republican Governors Association]. I’m also very friendly with [former Minnesota] Governor [Tim] Pawlenty, and have great respect for him. I have respect for [Indiana] Governor [Mitch] Daniels, and I’ve spent time with him.”

How about Sarah Palin? “I’ve never spent any time with her,” he said, referring to the Alaska governor who stepped down from office 4 months prior to his election.

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John K. Fanney Joins DeMent Askew LLP

The law firm of DeMent Askew announces that Criminal Law Attorney John K. Fanney has joined its Raleigh, N.C., office.

Raleigh, NC (Vocus/PRWEB) February 15, 2011

The law firm of DeMent Askew announces that Criminal Law Attorney John K. Fanney has joined its Raleigh, N.C., office.

has nearly 21 years of experience and is admitted to the North Carolina, U.S. District & Court of Appeals, and Eastern District North Carolina bars.John Fanney has been named in SuperLawyers and recognized by Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Ratings. He is also a Board Certified Specialist in both state and federal criminal law, State Delegate to the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) and a frequent speaker at DWI seminars around North Carolina. He merges his successful criminal law practice with DeMent Askew, an established AV-rated law firm.

DeMent Criminal Law Group is led by Rusty DeMent, who’s attained an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell and was named to Business N.C.'s Legal Elite for criminal law. The addition of Fanney solidifies DeMent Askew as a leading . In addition to their prowess in criminal law, DWI and traffic violations, the firm is also accomplished in civil litigation, personal injury,and real estate.

“We are pleased and excited to have John Fanney join our firm.We’re looking forward to adding his expertise to the services we offer our clients,” says Rusty DeMent.

About DeMent Askew LLP

DeMent Askew, LLP was founded in 1968 by Russell W. DeMent, Jr. and quickly established a reputation for unwavering trial advocacy.Thenow boasts seven attorneys, five partners and two associates, and an exceptionally experienced and professional staff. They stand ready to protect their clients’ rights in civil and criminal litigation in North Carolina’s state and federal courts.

Attorneys at the law firm of DeMent Askew offer legal counsel primarily in the following areas: Criminal defenseDWI/TrafficPersonal injuryCivil litigation

DeMent Askew is proud that the majority of their new clients are referred to them by former, satisfied clients and other law firms in NC.In most cases, they offer free initial consultations so clients can quickly find out what their rights are, and what they can do to help.

Founded in 1968, the lawyers at DeMent Askew, LLP are confident that our exceptional law firm & litigation team can help you find the right solution to your legal problem.For more information about the firm, please go toor call 919-833-5555.

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Rusty DeMent, PartnerDeMent Askew919-833-5555Email Information

Obama to honor Medal of Freedom recipients Tuesday

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is awarding the nation's highest civilian honor to a diverse group of recipients, including a former president and a basketball legend.

Among the 15 recipients of the Medal of Freedom are President George H.W. Bush, former basketball star Bill Russell, businessman Warren Buffett and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The president and first lady Michelle Obama will honor the winners at a White House ceremony Tuesday.

The Medal of Freedom is presented to people who have made important contributions to U.S. national security, world peace, culture or other significant public or private endeavors.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is awarding the nation's highest civilian honor to a diverse group of recipients, including a former president and a basketball legend.

Among the 15 recipients of the Medal of Freedom are President George H.W. Bush, former basketball star Bill Russell, businessman Warren Buffet and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The president and first lady Michelle Obama will honor the winners at a White House ceremony Tuesday.

The Medal of Freedom is presented to people who have made important contributions to U.S. national security, world peace, culture or other significant public or private endeavors.

Iraq delays purchase of US fighter jets

BAGHDAD – Iraq is delaying the purchase of 18 American fighter jets over budget problems and has decided to funnel the money into food for the poor instead, said the Iraqi government spokesman Monday.

Iraq, like, many Middle Eastern countries in the wake of the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, is under pressure to demonstrate its commitment to helping its own people. But delaying the purchase also leaves Iraq, which relies on departing American forces to protect its skies, vulnerable.

Ali al-Dabbagh told The Associated Press that the Iraqi government would postpone the expected purchase of the F-16 fighter jets and would instead use the money to beef up food rations. The Iraqi government gives food rations to many of its neediest citizens, who complain the rations have gotten smaller.

Al-Dabbagh said an initial partial payment of about $1 billion was to be spent this year on the fighter jets, but did not have an exact figure on the total cost of the deal.

"We need the money badly this year ... to finance other important items," he said. "We thought that we cannot afford to buy the F-16s."

Al-Dabbagh said that Iraq did not intend to purchase fighters from another country at a cheaper price, as some Iraqi newspaper reports had indicated in recent days. "We feel that it is one of the most efficient fighters in the world, and we definitely need them."

According to al-Dabbagh's Web site, the Iraqi Cabinet had been moving forward with the deal as early as Jan. 26 when it authorized Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is the acting minister of defense, to negotiate with the Americans about making the first payment on the planes.

Al-Dabbagh said the postponement would not affect the departure of American troops scheduled for the end of this year. Iraq relies on American planes and drones to patrol and protect its skies, and the country's head of armed forces has said Iraq will not be ready to protect its own airspace until 2020.

An American military spokesman said the U.S. realizes that Iraq has to make tough budget decisions.

"The purchase of F-16s is one of many budget decisions they must make," said Col. Barry Johnson. "Any impact a decision to postpone the purchase of F-16s may have is just one of many factors the Iraqi government will have to weigh in considering its future security agreements."

Iraq has been rattled by protests in Tunisia and Egypt that have toppled governments there. In small-scale protests across Iraq, demonstrators have vented their anger at the Iraqi government, which they say is corrupt and demanded improved government services and more jobs.

Hundreds of Iraqis rallied Monday in central Baghdad, protesting the rampant corruption and the lack of government services that have plagued the country for years.

Despite sitting on some of the world's largest oil reserves, Iraqis endure electricity shortages that make summer almost unbearable and leave them shivering in winter. There are also water shortages, and garbage is often left on the streets. At the same time, Iraqis are infuriated by the high salaries earned by their elected officials, compared with ordinary Iraqis.

"We want reforms to take place," said Hanaa Adwar, an activist from the nonprofit watchdog group, al-Amal. "We have witnessed the popular revolution carried by Tunisian and Egyptian people that led to the toppling of their regime."

Many of the demonstrators carried banners that bore the image of a broken red heart, alluding to the fact that the protest took place on Valentine's Day. They shouted slogans saying Iraq's oil wealth should go to the people but goes to thieves instead.

"Government, you should take lessons from Egypt and Tunisia," demonstrators shouted as they walked through downtown.

On Sunday, al-Maliki met with government officials to discuss problems facing Iraqis, specifically the electricity shortage and the food rations, and vowed to address the problems.

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Associated Press reporters Hamid Ahmed and Saad Abdul-Kadir contributed to this report.