MAXINE

NBC ‘Rock Center’ GOP Debate From Tampa Bay Tweet-By-Tweet

2012-01-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney with former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Romney’s “Charlie Crist” problem is this: Romney’s chief campaign strategist and several of his most senior campaign staff were Charlie Crist’s top political advisers — the same ones who crafted Crist’s moderate, ignore-the-tea-party strategy epitomized by Crist’s famous “hug” of President Barack Obama. That strategy led Crist, once the most popular Republican governor in the nation, to defeat. Caption & Image Credit: NewsMax

NBC ‘Rock Center’ GOP Debate From Tampa Bay Tweet-By-Tweet

With barely enough time to soak in the resounding and unexpected win in the South Carolina primary by former insider turned outsider, Newt Gingrich, NBC News Rock Center with Brian Williams is conducting the first of two televised GOP field debates before the Florida primary.

The primary result in South Carolina (Newt – 40% vs Mitt – 28% … a 12% spread) put egg on the faces of many recognizable Republican leadership faces, the most recognizable of which was the 2008 presidential election’s Republican nominee, John McCain, New Jersey Governor Chris Cristie, and past Republican Political Party leader, Hailey Barbour. This potential Republican ‘ruling class’ drubbing may continue in Florida if the most recent polls from Rasmussen are to be believed:

This excerpted and edited from Rasmussen Reports -

2012 Florida Republican Primary
Florida GOP Primary: Gingrich 41%, Romney 32%
Monday, January 23, 2012

Less than two weeks ago, Mitt Romney had a 22-point lead in Florida, but that’s ancient history in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Following his big win in South Carolina on Saturday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich now is on top in Florida by nine.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Florida Republican Primary Voters, taken Sunday evening, finds Gingrich earning 41% of the vote with Romney in second at 32%. Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum runs third with 11%, while Texas Congressman Ron Paul attracts support from eight percent (8%). Nine percent (9%) remain undecided.(To see survey question wording, click here).
[Reference Here]

Further, the liberal press is having a field day trying to raster and vector their definition of Gingrich to the point that they are dredging up ghosts of the past … by over 40 years – EXAMPLE:

JON MEACHAM in TIME, “Meet Newt Nixon: Forget Reagan. Gingrich’s real political analogue is another angry striver: Richard Nixon”:

“Like Nixon, Gingrich is smart, with a wide-ranging and entrepreneurial mind. Like Nixon, Gingrich is a striver who seems insecure around traditional establishment figures even though he has achieved much more than nearly all of the politicians, editors, and reporters he seems to at once loathe and fear. Like Nixon, Gingrich is fluent in the vernacular of cultural populism, brilliantly casting contemporary American life in terms of an overarching conflict between ‘real’ people and distant ‘elites’ …
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“There is another element of the 2012 story with antecedents in 1968 that is yet to play out. ‘Watching George Romney [the father of Mitt Romney] run for the Presidency,’ said the then Governor of Ohio, James Rhodes, ‘was like watching a duck try to make love to a football.’ I’m not entirely sure what that means, except that it was an undertaking that did not quite work.”
(ht: Mike Allen – Politico Playbook)

With three winners in three primaries, pretzel logic from elites of all stripe pervades the first round of primaries and continues on to Florida. The Republican elite love to claim that Mitt Romney is the most electable candidate for presidential nominee, but this flies in the face of the fact that now, after South Carolina, Mitt has only won 9 of 25 electoral races he has been entered and campaigned in … as per Rush Limbaugh. Further, NewsMax reports that Romney’s advisers in Florida were former Governor Charlie Crist’s GOP defecting political advisers … gotta’ love them ‘moderates’.

Lastly, the vote in South Carolina reflects the fact that Conservative Republicans are tired that no Republican candidate ever takes the Democrat Political Party and it’s supporting power arms in the Mainstream Press, the Courts, and Labor Unions to task … does Romney? – NO … does Santorum? – NO … does Paul – NO … does Gingrich – YES!

Participating in the NBC Rock Center debate event from Tampa Bay, Florida: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

The following audit trail of real-time postings are 140 character (or less) responses and reactions found on Twitter in this and this is a process of reporting termed “Tweet-By-Tweet”!

BEGIN
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TheEDJEEdmund Jenks – IT’S OVER FOR MITT – Romney Campaign Run by Charlie Crist’s Political Aides tinyurl.com/7n97zh3 #tcot #tlot #loser #fldebate #politisite

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – I’m watching the debate tonight (in 15 minutes) over here on.msnbc.com/xZ5IMp

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theblazeTheBlaze.com – VID – Watch and Chat LIVE: Republicans Take the Stage at University of South Florida Debate theblaze.com/stories/join-t… via @theblaze TG

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START OF DEBATE – Rules: 60 seconds/30 seconds

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jdhenchmanJoe Henchman – TiVo tells me that tonight’s Republican debate is actually “Fear Factor: Leeches & Shaved Heads & Tear Gas Part 1″

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – Gingrich looks tired, no?

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AlexPappasDCAlex Pappas – First question of the night goes to Gingrich on electability

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Is Brian Williams ready to get attacked by Gingrich? #FLDebate

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LibertyLynxR – Another debate? What time? Why? How? And then the State of the Union tomorrow? It’s too much. No one can possibly survive this.

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Brian Williams opens the debate by pointing out that Ron Paul is only candidate not to have won a primary.

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – RT @fivethirtyeight: Gingrich played the Reagan Card a world record 3.26 seconds into the debate.

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TPMTalking Points Memo – Newt saying he “took responsibility” and left Speakership on his own, wasn’t dragged out at all

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – How does Romney connect? With a high-speed LAN! Get it?!?

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – so the debates are now a forum on ads and campaign attacks. Yeah, that’s valuable.

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DLoeschDana Loesch – Romney likely won’t mention Gingrich was cleared. #FLdebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – #hhrs #tcot “The members of his own Congressional team moved to replace him and 88% of Republicans voted to rebuke him” #hhrs

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ToadonaWireL – How long do we spend on electability? Can we talk about REAL issues? #nbcdebate #FLdebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Counting down seconds before Ron Paul or Rick Santorum interject to ask if they can play too.

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – RT @philipaklein: Sounds like Romney has read his @tpcarney bit.ly/zL4VZ3

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Finally … Santorum, Paul must be in the on-deck circle

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rightstaceStacey – Mitt -stop Newt-bashing! — how does that help America?

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TPMTalking Points Memo – Romney on Gingrich: An “influence peddler” in Washington

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – I kind of miss the applause.

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – Santorum: “Any kind of prediction is going to be wrong” Except for that one.

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Santorum brags about his Pennsylvania victories again. 2006 landslide defeat goes, as always, unmentioned. #FLDebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – RT @fatherz: Ss answer about loss in PA was pretty good. #gop #fldebate #dickmorriss #hhrs #catholic #hhrs

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And finally … Ron Paul

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – Ron Paul: “If you’re looking at the kids these days, I’m a huge winner.” Yeah, the AAYP beats the AARP every day of the week.

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FlapGregory Flap Cole – Ron Paul hammers Gingrich on not being re-elected to Speakership = Newt did not have the votes and he didn’t! Ron Paul for historian

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craig_crawfordCraig Crawford – Brian Williams told debate crowd they can’t react, should have handed out gags with NBC logo

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Tepid Qs from Rock Left.

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GaltsGirlMichelle Ray -@PWKennedy Everyone should snort beer during GOP debates. It’s the only thing that makes them tolerable.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Romney pivots from talking about his taxes to talking about the American people’s taxes. Nice segue.

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – romney is proud of paying lotsa taxes. weirdo.

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – Romney: “I don’t a dollar more taxes than I owe” Good line.

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DonIrvineDonIrvine – What kind of a question was that? He’s wealthy and pays taxes.

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Second tax return question. #hhrs

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ToadonaWireL – So far, we have had 23 minutes of fail #FLdebate NBC Brian Williams sucks

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – RT @daveweigel: Romney tax returns to reveal that he constantly makes, loses $10,000 bets to people. #FLdebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Mitt on attacks on his wealth: Yes, I was surprised to see Republicans pick up the weapons of the left.

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GPollowitzGreg Pollowitz – Romney should say, “my tax return will show I paid what I owed, unlike Geithner, Sharpton, Daschle, Rangel…”

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – RT @JonahNRO: Brian! Not so loud! You’ll wake the audience.

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SooperMexicanel SOOPer – this debate is so dull without an audience it won’t matter who wins it. #FLDebate #hhrs

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michaelemlongmichaelemlong – bit.ly/yvkMq7 Gingrich Super PAC Head: Romney Is a Medicare Fraudster but Will It Matter? #tcot #tcot_talk #teaparty #sgp #right #gop

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Romney talks about creating jobs in his career and not apologizing for free enterprise. His best argument. #FLDebate

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DonIrvineDonIrvine – I don’t think this debate is going to change anyone’s mind, but it should stop the bleeding for Romney. #FLdebate

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – no newt axes! #fldebate

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @alanagoodman: Romney backs Gingrich into a corner on his claim to work as an historian for Freddie Mac #FLdebate

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jdhenchmanJoe Henchman – Gingrich on his Freddie deal: “I offered strategic advice, largely based on my knowledge of history, including the history of Washington”

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Romney reminds Gingrich he said he was paid as a historian. Says historian don’t get paid that kind of money. #FLDebate

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craig_crawfordCraig Crawford – One-Percenter Smackdown: Bain vs. Freddie Mac

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Crawford is an idiot … Freddie MAC is a one-percent that was funded by the taxpayer and ended up killing our economy, and it is still there screwing the American people

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrisse – “Ill say this in Florida” I don’t think Medicare Part D is terribly unpopular there. #FLDebate

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Gingrich says he is proud to have advocated Medicare Part D.

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BREAK

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Read The Rest @ Politisite>>

The SCGOP Palmetto Pick Begins ... And Ends

2012-01-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

The polling trends of the last week, both nationally and in South Carolina, indicate that the race for the Republican presidential nomination has taken another dramatic shift. At face value, these trends suggest that Newt Gingrich has moved into the lead in South Carolina and now stands a good chance of winning the state's primary on Saturday. Image Credit: Joe Raedle - Getty Images via Examiner

The SCGOP Palmetto Pick Begins ... And Ends

After a ton of debates over about an eight month period, and two spirited debates in South Carolina, Republicans get their first real pure test as to who they would like to see replace Barack Obama as the leader of the free world, oh, and the president of the United States.

The two warm-up acts, the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary had an element to them which have both voting processes tainted by being loose as it relates to who could sign up to vote (in Iowa, one may not even live in the state) or which political party affiliation one happened to be representing in order to vote.

South Carolina wants registered Republicans to vote in the Republican primary for president, or any other office for that matter. Good, clean, and clear democratic politics.

It turns out that the candidate that has the most money, and the backing of the Republican professional politician elite (the string pullers) has the most to lose here in the Palmetto Pick because, as it turns out, Gov. Mitt Romney did not win the Iowa Caucuses by eight votes over Sen, Rick Santorum, but lost to Rick Santorum by about 30 votes with a total of around 120,000 votes being cast. That is one win for Senator Rick Santorum.

In New Hampshire, where registered Democrat Political Party voters can openly go to the polls and vote for a Republican in a republican Political Party primary, Governor Mitt Romney won by 39% of the vote over Congressman Ron Paul who got about 23% of the vote (this will be the best that this Libertarian purist Republican will post - normally is stuck at around 16% - the rest of the primaries due to a Democrat crossover vote). Mitt Romney expected to win in the low 40 percentile range because he is very moderate and he was the elected Governor of a neighboring liberal state, Massachusetts.

So now we come to South Carolina, the Palmetto State, where the politics are big "C" Conservative, a little big "C" Christian, and always big "C" Contentious!

This vote was presumed to be able to be won by the candidate supported by the Republican Party elite as it was four years ago with John McCain ... the man who lost to Barack Obama and now currently endorses ... Mitt Romney. If Mitt Romney were to win, and win decisively, the rest of the primaries would probably end up going for Mitt Romney as the Republican nominee.

The two debates in South Carolina, however, have pointed out a weakness in Mitt Romney's ability to respond to pointed and tough questions ... not by the press who have run the debates, but by the other candidates on politically conservative positions. This has exposed Mitt and may have moved him out from the presumptive front-runner position.

The latest polling shows just this trend:

This excerpted and edited from Public Policy Polling -

Newt expands South Carolina lead
January 20, 2012

Newt Gingrich heads into South Carolina election day as the clear front runner in the state: he's now polling at 37% to 28% for Mitt Romney, 16% for Rick Santorum, and 14% for Ron Paul.

Gingrich's lead has actually increased in the wake of his ex-wife's controversial interview with ABC. Although one night poll results should always be interpreted with caution, he led the final night of the field period by a 40-26 margin. One thing that continues to work to his advantage are the debates. 60% of primary voters report having watched the one last night, and Gingrich has a 46-23 lead with those folks.

The other reason his ex-wife's interview isn't causing him much trouble is that there's a lot of skepticism about it. Only 31% of voters say they think her accusations are true while 35% think they are false and 34% are unsure. 51% of voters say that they have 'no concerns' about what came out in the interview.

The skepticism of Republican voters toward the media is helping Gingrich as well. Just 14% of likely voters have a generally favorable opinion of the media, while 77% view it negatively. Gingrich's attacks on the media have clearly played well with the party base.

Gingrich is leading with pretty much every key segment of the Republican electorate. He's up 41-21 on Romney and Santorum with Evangelicals, he has a 52-18 advantage on Romney with Tea Partiers, he leads Santorum 44-21 with 'very conservative' voters with Romney at 20%, and he's up 39-26 with men.

In the final week of the campaign Gingrich rose from 24% to 37% in PPP's polling while Romney basically stayed in place, going from 29% to 28%. Romney saw a 15 point decline in his net favorability in the closing stretch from +24 (57/33) to just +9 (51/42). Gingrich saw a modest increase in his numbers over the final week from +14 (51/37) to +17 (54/37).
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Mark Blumenthal's piece today for Huffington Post about 'expecting the unexpected' tomorrow is well worth a read. Gingrich will probably win tomorrow- but there's a higher than normal chance for a surprise given everything that's gone down in the last 48 hours.

Full results here
[Reference Here]

Other interesting developments that are of note come in the area of endorsements. Michael Reagan, the nationally syndicated radio talk show host (5 million listeners) and adopted son of Ronald Reagan, came out with an unqualified endorsement of Newt.

Michael Reagan said in a statement released Friday afternoon that Gingrich “exemplifies the conservative principles my father championed.”

Reagan urged “fellow Republicans and conservatives” to vote for Gingrich, citing the contrast between Gingrich’s Reagan conservatism and President Obama’s “European style” socialism.

“We cannot afford a candidate backed by the same Washington insiders who repeatedly tried to undermine my father and the Reagan revolution,” he added.
Official Statement

This is pretty serious ... much more serious than Sarah Palin's "If I were a person voting in South Carolina ..." endorsement of Newt.

The Palmetto Pick Is ...

POLLS Close In South Carolina - FOXNews projects Newt Gingrich with strong support from all voting demographics including independents, evangelicals, and ... married women!

This is a slam to the established "ruling class" Republican elites and moderates who think that a Republican needs to be measured in his or her support of core Conservative values of self-reliance, right-to-work, and smaller Government.

Full Vote Results HERE -- Exit Poll Analysis HERE>>

Most Telling Takeaway:

How do you feel about the Tea Party movement?

Total - Paul | Gingrich | Romney | Santorum
Support
64% 12% 45% 25% 17%
Neutral
27% 15% 35% 30% 18%
Oppose
8% 21% 19% 32% 13%

- Article first seen as The SCGOP Palmetto Pick Begins … And Ends at Technorati -

Let’s Try Four – CNN SCGOP Debate Tweet-By-Tweet

2012-01-19T19:34:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul gives an answer durnig the last debate before the primary vote in South Carolina. Image Credit: CNN

Let’s Try Four – CNN SCGOP Debate Tweet-By-Tweet

With three days to go until the first-in-the south primary, Mitt Romney remains in the lead in the Palmetto State, but according to a new poll, his advantage over Newt Gingrich is rapidly shrinking.

A CNN/Time/ORC International poll indicates that 33% of likely South Carolina Republican primary voters say they are backing Romney, with 23% supporting Gingrich. The former Massachusetts governor’s 10 point advantage over the former House speaker is down from a 19 point lead two weeks ago. According to the survey, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania is at 16%, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas is at 13%, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry stands at 6%.
(ht: CNN)

The following presidential hopefuls are participating in the event: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

The following audit trail of real-time postings are 140 character (or less) responses and reactions found on Twitter and this is a process of reporting termed “Tweet-By-Tweet”!

BEGIN

AlexPappasDCAlex Pappas – Think Progress, The Other McCain and TPM are only ones in press filing center standing for pledge yfrog.com/kgo4rstj

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LessaTLessa – My thoughts: Marianne #Gingrich behavior is of a bitter,angry women out for revenge & $ #Wicked

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Make sure to watch me on The O’Reilly Factor tonight at 8pm!

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Yeah …. riiiiiiight!

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stix1972Doug Welch – RT @ohconservatism: Prediction for the night. Most people still hate everyone who isn’t their guy. Many end up drunk. Few change their mind.

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kerpenPhil Kerpen – I really can’t take anything Wolf Blitzer says seriously after seeing Andy Richter embarrass him on Jeopardy.

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PolitisitePolitisite – Watch the CNN Debate – Charleston, South Carolina GOP Debate Coverage #CNNDebate tinyurl.com/7zcsxc7 #sctweets

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INTRO With John King

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Say his name 3 times in the mirror …. RT @rsmccain: Jon Huntsman, we miss you. (Just kidding.)

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FlapGregory Flap Cole – Seriously, the CNN intros are laboring at best….get on with it!

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – So wrong. But not. RT @BlameTelford: Question for Gingrich: do you support gay open marriage? #CNNDebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – “The Fight for the South”? Er … #scdebate

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EditMeDavidDavid Martosko – any one getting game-show deja vu as they emerge from between the set pieces?

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kiradavis422Kira Ayn Davis – A year ago I’d have said u were effing crazy if 2 of the last 4 GOP candidates would be Newt and some guy named Santorum #CNNDebate

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – “I’m the only U.S. veteran on this stage tonight.” – Ron Paul

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AKaczynski1Andrew Kaczynski – Shorter Ron Paul : Newt is a draft dodger!

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So, Newt, do you want to comment on comments made by your ex-wife?

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jamiedupreeJamie Dupree – Gingrich gives John KIng the Juan Williams treatment: “I AM APPALLED”

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Newt starts off on in his wheel house — hitting the media.

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DrtySxyPoliticsDirtySex&Politics – NOOOOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAYYYYY!!! They are really effing going there! Assholes. #CNNDebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Well, Newt won this debate. Let’s all watch Knight and Day now.

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Wow … this is a smackdown to end all smackdowns. #cnndebate

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – RT @KatiePavlich: “I am frankly astounded that CNN would take trash like that and use it to open a presidential debate” -Gingrich

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – “I am tired of the elite media protecting Barack Obama by attacking Republicans.” – Newt

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TheFixThe Fix – Smart by Romney too. “Let’s get on to the real issues.” #cnndebate

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PolitisitePolitisite – Yeah, What about the corporations that run the media #Paul #cnndebate tinyurl.com/7zcsxc7

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – John King: OK, let’s get started now that I’ve thoroughly embarrassed myself and my network #cnndebate

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SalenaZitoTribSalenaZito – Who knew that Ron Paul would be the first normal part of the debate? #CNNDebate

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Ron Paul on wife of 54 yrs…nice…

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daveweigeldaveweigel – RT @AlexNBCNews: Speaking of Newt… where are his tax returns? They were supposed to come out tonight… #decision2012

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FreedomWorksFreedomWorks – Ron Paul: “what about the corporations that run the media?” #CNNdebate #tcot #teaparty tells “govt. to get outta the way”

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DanRiehlDanRiehl – OK, Newt, now try to not look at John King like u want to chew his nuts off on live TV.

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Newt needs to drop Bain Capital attacks…counterproductive for conservatives.

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – RT @StevenErtelt: Crony capitalism? Someone was listening at #BlogCon in Denver…

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thebookguyPeter Marx – #CNNdebate I give John King credit for letting Gingrich clear the deck right off the bat

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GottahrdtKarl – @@Politisite @alexwagner What a pile of crap #departed

#CNNDebate

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DonIrvineDonIrvine – It is capitalism and freedom that makes America strong. @MittRomney #cnndebate

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TPMTalking Points Memo – Romney on capitalism: “We’re going to stuff it down [Obama's] throat.”

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Santorum goes populist and says he’s for capitalism for working people but not “high finance.”#CNNdebate

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DonIrvineDonIrvine – Keep the focus on Obama. #cnndebate

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – Good rhetoric by Santorum. People are living in obama-caused economic squalor. #hhrs

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Role Of Government

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lesliecarbonelesliecarbone – Aren’t most of the Reagan Democrats dead by now?

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DickMorrisTweetDick Morris - #cnndebate #hannity #tcot #gop #talkmaster Romney really scored with his answer and Newt made it an anti-Newt answer by his own attacks

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Good answer from Santorum, who also chooses to attack Obama rather than Romney. #CNNDebate

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DanRiehlDanRiehl – RT @ktumulty: Ron Paul says they dnt need any “special programs” 4 military returning from WWII. Has he not hrd of the GI bill?

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – RT @JazzShaw: Nobody has boo’d Ron Paul yet. We must still be talking domestic policy. #cnndebate

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Ron Paul uses question about unemployed veterans to brag about military support. #CNNDebate

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BeregondTom Reynolds – Mitt is almost right, then he says “bundle it and send it to the state level.” That leaves DC in charge via strings. #CNNDebate

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DailyCallerThe Daily Caller – SC treasurer on Romney endorsement: ‘There were some problems’ – thedc.com/yIsziy

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BlameTelfordErik Telford – The American People, fresh off their Herman Cain endorsement, are really killin’ it in this debate tonight.

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prismsincRic = AmSpec: Newt Gets Two Standing Ovations bit.ly/zAkinT #tcot

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DickMorrisTweetDick Morris - #cnndebate #hannity #tcot #gop #talkmaster Romney is winning. Newt is so smart, but somehow it seems a sidebar to Romney’s focus on today

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sanuzisSaul Anuzis – #cnndebate Santorum goes on the offensive – attacks both Romney & Gingrich – about to get womped back I’m sure:)

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Romney – “Thank You.”

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RichLowryRich Lowry – “playing footsies w/ the left”–rick s came ready to play on health care

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DLoeschDana Loesch – This is a fantastic answer from Santorum. The best attack on Romneycare of the debates. If only the rest of his record matched.

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – Just tuned in. Who is the new guy? He looks like Rick Santorum, but he’s also an effective speaker. I’m confused.

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Mitt as good as possible on Romneycare…but Rick scored a few pts…

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Santorum’s point about how Obama will attack Romney is right. Strong moment for Santorum. #CNNDebate

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mboyle1Matthew Boyle – Romney just took Santorum to school on healthcare. If you wanna be gov of MA, fine. I wanna be president.

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foxnewspoliticsfoxnewspolitics – Gingrich: I’ll have Lincoln-Douglas debate with Obama. He can use teleprompter, I’ll just use knowledge

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – Newt finds it amazing that Santorum thinks he would have trouble debating Obama. DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM, RICK?

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ColorMeRedOpionionated – Woo Woo #Newt! Let Obama use a teleprompter…I’ll rely on knowledge #CNNdebate

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BREAK – Tease: Gingrich released tax returns online … we will ask what is in there!

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DavidLimbaughDavid Limbaugh – Romney says he wants the federal government out of healthcare but he just said he wants to impose pre-existing coverage.

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EditMeDavidDavid Martosko – NOTE: Newt’s 2010 tax return shows $19,800 for alimony. #cheap thedc.com/yNEEBV

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SooperMexicanel SOOPer – ROn paul is a one trick pony.. he could turn a question about his favorite color into a slam against zionism #CNNDebate

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Back From BREAK – Asked to get out of race

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – RT @freddoso: SANTORUM: “Grandiosity has never been a problem with Newt Gingrich.”

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Santorum – I’m steady, I’m solid, I’m here

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WSJWall Street Journal – New filings: Gingrich and wife earned adjusted gross income of $3.1 million in 2010 and owed $994,708 in federal taxes

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No Question By CNN On Newt’s Taxes

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Margaret Thatcher was also pushed out by her own party. I’m always surprised Gingrich the historian never mentions that.

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jeff_poorJeff Poor – Here’s where Newt can win it all by saying he is on par with Churchill, Thatcher, Julius Caesar… #CNNdebate

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – Newt: I invented the airplane and I wasn’t even born yet, Rick. How do you like them apples?

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Santorum slams Gingrich

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foxnewspoliticsfoxnewspolitics – Gingrich: Long before Rick came to Congress I was a rebel. For 16 years — those are facts even if inconvenient for his campaign

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ZekeJMillerZeke Miller – Yep RT @GarrettNBCNews: This battle between Santorum and Gingrich is Romney’s best moment of the night so far. #cnndebate

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lesliecarbonelesliecarbone – Gingrich has ditched two wives. Of course he’s unreliable. Duh.

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – Santorum is having a really good night. First time I haven’t loathed his presence.

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Dean_LDean_L – #cnndebate Mitt Romney’s holier than thou moment. He should have let Newt and Rick bash each other. But he couldn’t resist the face time.

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EditMeDavidDavid Martosko – Mitt says he’s lived “in the real streets of America” — the ones paved with gold, perhaps?

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – GREAT line by Mitt: I don’t recall a single day when I said Oh thank heaven for Washington. #CNNdebate

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mboyle1Matthew Boyle – Romney to Newt: You’re mentioned ONCE in Ronald Reagan’s diary. My dad was even mentioned once!

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – This is a losing argument for Gingrich methinks

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OHCONSERVATISMAndrew Staroska – Who gives a crap about the damn tax returns. FFS!

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Romney: A president who has played 90 rounds of golf….Keystone again… #hhrs #tcot

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robertcostaNRORobert Costa – Noooooooo. As an avid golfer, who respects the prez’s bad lefty swing, i must object to this attack on O.

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prismsincRic – RT @MicahSquires: So now @NewtGingrich is taking credit for his work in govt making the business environment better? PALEEEZE! #cnndebate

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TPMTalking Points Memo – Newt on Mitt’s tax returns: “If there’s nothing in there, why not release it?”

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foxnewspoliticsfoxnewspolitics – Santorum: I do my own taxes and they are at my computer at home. No one is there to get them. I will when I get home

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SaveJerseyThe Save Jersey Blog – I really like Santorum’s tax return answer! Three cheers for #turbotax. #cnndebate

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sanuzisSaul Anuzis – #cnndebate “I am not going to apologize for being successful.” — Mitt

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andreamsaulAndrea Saul – .@MittRomney: I’m going to be able to talk to @BarackObama in a way no one else can #WorkedInRealWorld #CNNDebate

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – RT @JonahNRO: Really, John. Apple’s success takes your breath away? Really?

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ZillaStevensonZilla Stevenson – Tax returns? How about releasing the docs relating to Obama’s name change from Soetoro? Was he ever repatriated from Indonesian citizenship?

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – santorum going on too long about this china issue. clouding it rather than concise and with clarity. #hhrs

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michaelemlongmichaelemlong – bit.ly/yQSlH8 Rush: ABC’s Goal Was To ‘Take Mitt Out This Week,’ Newt Next Week – But Drudge ‘Messed Them Up’ #tcot #tcot_talk #right

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SOPA & PIPA Question

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Gingrich: You are asking me, a conservative, to weigh in on protecting the rights of Big Hollywood!

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SueDTweetsSueDTweets – #CNNDebate Newt favors freedom and won’t let gov’t censor the internet!! He gets points!! #tcot —-

RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – Romney understands SOPA, too. Very reassuring to me as an Internet guy. #hhrs

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foxnewspoliticsfoxnewspolitics – Santorum on #SOPA: I’m all for free, but our products made in USA being stolen and sold back here … there oughtta be a law or something

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BREAK

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DLoeschDana Loesch – Poor, more big government answer from Santorum. Again, this is why I question him.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis -Disappointed so little time has been devoted to gay marriage and contraception.

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daveweigeldaveweigel – Weird. Santorum doesn’t like the idea of “anything goes” on the Internet. I’ll google his name and figure out why

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – New debate horror movie: I Know What You Did Last Marriage.

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – santorum gave an answer about individual liberties vs ip rights circa 1999 and napster. time machine response. geez. zzZZzzz..

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christinakbchristinakb – yikes – it sounds like Santorum is quitting “to be here in the final four…” #cnndebate #tcot

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Back From BREAK – Audience – Immigration

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Gingrich – FIRST, control the border | English as official language | etc., etc.

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DrtySxyPoliticsDirtySex&Politics – It’s really difficult watching the GOP debates and NOT use the following words..crazy, pussies, anger issues, certifiable

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mmshowalter1Monica Showalter – Love Newt’s response on illegals, making it easier to immigrate legally than illegally! #cnndebate

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – How would Newt deal with an illegal grandfather or grandmother who is apart of a El Salvadorian gang?

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JonahNROJonah Goldberg – These local draft-immigration boards wouldn’t attract bribes at all.

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RMA_DougDoug Winegardner – No bueno pic.twitter.com/BmD43lif

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – my family came here via lord balitimore’s commission in 1633. we didn’t sneak across the border. we just pushed indians aside. #CNNDebate

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mboyle1Matthew Boyle – Santorum: Romney has flip-flopped on immigration/amnesty for illegal ALIENS. Just like other issues.

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prismsincRic – SANTORUM great answer on immigration! #tcot

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – santorum trying to pick nits w/mitt over immigration, when mitt is very clear what his position is, & it’s near identical to rick’s. #hhrs

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kirstenpowers10kirsten powers – Romney always says that illegal immigrants shouldn’t get ‘preference.’ TOTAL STRAW MAN. Ted Kennedy agreed they shld go to back of line.

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – ron paul has no lips. #CNNDebate #importantissues

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Ron Paul doesn’t like laws that prosecute illegal immigration, wants more legal immigration, but tighter borders to prevent immigration.

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DickMorrisTweetDick Morris – #cnndebate #hannity #tcot #gop #talkmaster Ron Paul is wrong. Texas does not have to provide medicaid to illegals

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JasonBWhitmanNatl Policy Chairman – There is a reason why I have been calling Santorum the Angry Candidate. Can’t hide it forever… #cnndebate

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dmataconisDoug Mataconis – RT @Tom1247: Santorum has less than 27 minutes to keep this from being a 3-man race in Florida. My bet is he doesn’t make it. #ByeByeRick

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MySecondEmpireChris Jones – I haven’t seen four white dudes with less stage presence since Bread.–

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – #hhrs #tcot #CNNdebate Romney should bring up Mary Ann Glendot -

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @sethamandel: Santorum whispers into microphone. Not creepy, not creepy at all. #CNNDebate

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benshapirobenshapiro – Mitt Romney’s attempt to run from his pro-abortion record in MA is weak in the extreme.

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HowardKurtzHowardKurtz – Rick says Newt downplayed social issues as speaker. Problem is that most voters don’t care about internal House battles of the ’90s

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SooperMexicanel SOOPer – Ron Paul is being marginalized at the kiddie table.. where he belongs. #CNNDebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Haha. Audience reminds John King that Dr. Ron Paul is also on stage. How hard can this be? There are only four

of them now.

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kathrynlopezKathryn Jean Lopez – that might be romney’s best defense of his record on life as governor ever

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BREAK

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TPMTalking Points Memo – First time Mitt says ‘Romneycare’? tpm.ly/xlnTJP

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DavidMDruckerDavid M. Drucker – “I wasn’t even thinking about you when I was giving my opening statement so you were overly sensitive.” @RonPaul to Santorum #CNNdebate

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HotlineReidReid Wilson – Paul, to Santorum: “Just for the record, I wasn’t even thinking about you when I was giving my statement, so you are overly sensitive.”

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mkhammerMary Katharine Ham -#ronpaulfacts RT @KarolNYC: Ron Paul doesn’t even think of Rick Santorum.

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Back From BREAK – John King: Closing pander comments please

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – OK. Ron Paul should *never* say “my modest proposal”. It frightens me.

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conor64Conor Friedersdorf – Looks like John King won’t ask anything about Iran, contra his comments on Hugh Hewitt’s show. #CNNDebate

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TPMTalking Points Memo – Newt: “I want to thank CNN.”

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christinakbchristinakb – Newt: “… a Saul Alinsky candidate who is incompetent cannot be re-elected …” zzzzzzzing! #teaparty #tcot #cnndebate

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ToniNoBolognyToni Backdahl – Harry Reid makes the trend and Ron Paul doesn’t! That means that they r purposely blocking Ron Paul from trending on Twitter -

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michaelemlongmichaelemlong – bit.ly/Abbe3o Is Newt Gingrich About to Be Herman Cained? #tcot #tcot_talk #teaparty #sgp #right #gop #con

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SooperMexicanel SOOPer – WHo else calls Obama an Alinskyite? NO ONE. thats why i’m #WithNEWT #CNNDebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – #tcot #hhrs #CNNdebate @RickSantorum the question is who is the best person to take on Obama. That is the right question.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Santorum calls himself a “conviction conservative.”

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ToniNoBolognyToni Backdahl – Because the tweets were comparing Harry and Ron Pauls abortion records.. so that means if Harry trended Ron Paul should have too! #CNNDEBATE

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END OF DEBATE

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FlapGregory Flap Cole – Santorum’s debate performance was the best, Newt was OK and held his own, Romney was shaky and if he doesn’t win on Saturday is in trouble

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fivethirtyeightNate Silver – Here are those much loved/hated debate grades: Santorum A-, Gingrich B+, Paul B-, Romney C.

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FoxieNewsDebbie – RT @ReconChesty: Tonight Newt will leave the Debate with John King Strapped to his Truck Hood!!! LMAO!! #CNNDebate #tcot // Heck Yeah!!!

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Winners: Gingrich, Santorum, Paul. Romney fumbled the taxes question again, but otherwise did no harm. #CNNDebate

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brooksbaynebrooks bayne – RT @irishspy: Of course, Santorum forgot to mention the race against a Democrat he lost… #CNNdebate

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allahpunditAllah Pundit – Newt should have mooned King at the beginning for emphasis

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sanuzisSaul Anuzis – #cnndebate Santorum had a good night & strong close; Romney perfermed very well under attack; Newt strong start then waned; Paul consistent

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JohnAvlonJohn Avlon – Newt drinking game – “radically” or “fundamentally” -

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DeanClancyDean Clancy – OK, so which guy is the conservative, again?

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JsrRogerRogersdaughter – #cnndebate Newt Gingrich knows how to take on Obama – the others aren’t tough enough…or experienced enough to do it and win.

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jdhenchmanJoe Henchman – Gingrich taxes: chipped into the presidential election campaign fund, lost $74 selling Campbell Soup stock, donated 2.5% to charity.

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DrtySxyPoliticsDirtySex&Politics – Highlights tonight were Mitt using the term “Romneycare” Santorum crying and Newt throwing his shoe at John King #CNNDebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Thought Santorum won the debate. Mitt lost. Newt and Paul were predictable. Anyone else miss Perry?

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ENDS

New Hampshire Debate-By-Debate (2), Tweet By Tweet

2012-01-08T08:06:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney is far ahead in New Hampshire, but the former Massachusetts governor and the other Republican presidential candidates are facing two debates that could help define the contest. Image Credit: WABC

New Hampshire Debate-By-Debate (2), Tweet By Tweet

Republican candidates for the GOP presidential nomination gather this weekend for back-to-back debates, giving the six remaining contestants almost no time to recover from potential missteps before the voting starts in New Hampshire on the following Tuesday.

First debate tonight, Saturday night, for two-hours is sponsored by ABC News, Yahoo and WMUR-TV, then ten hours later, the candidates reconvene on the morning set of NBC‘s “Meet the Press” program for another 90 minute debate.

PODIUM ORDER – From far left to far right: Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Former Senator Rick Santorum, Former Leader of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, Texas Governor Rick Perry.

The following posting will reflect 140 character (or less) responses and impressions offered by persons reacting to what they observe during the debate on Twitter … a process we term “Tweet By Tweet”.

Debate #1 – Saint Anselm College, Moderated by ABC’s Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos; they will be joined by WMUR-TV anchor Josh McElveen (background information HERE).

stephenkruiserstephenkruiser -If you’re not being paid to watch the debate & you opt for it over football…you’re probably a commie.

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michaeljohnsMichael Johns – In #NH, Romney surrogate tells conservatives it’s “not about picking someone with your own beliefs”: tinyurl.com/7b27kx9

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photog357Cathy York – RT @ConservativeLA: Gingrich, Santorum, Romney…any of non-insane front-runners would make a fine POTUS. The problem is Obama. Focus. #hhrs

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ByronYorkByron York – Top Santorum aide: ‘Mitt Romney is starting to come across as a bully.’ ow.ly/8lAhw

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fivethirtyeightNate Silver – Romney HQ in Manchester. Impressively busy here. yfrog.com/nvdlygtj

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amandacarpenterAmanda Carpenter – This is the messaging from the DNC?—>RT @DWStweets: Mitt Romney isn’t a job creator—he’s a #JobCremator.

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hotairblogHot Air – Gingrich’s Dukakis allusion: “Governors of Massachusetts don’t always make good presidential candidates”: Heh. G… bit.ly/zlxpCQ

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – About ten minutes away from the debate start #nhdebate

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EmilyABCEmily Friedman – Romney and Santorum both in the building at the ABC debate.

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Coffee? Check. HuntsmanMuteButton? Check. Online #nhdebate link? Check: is.gd/jhluoX

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secuppS.E. Cupp – As per usual, I have no life and am live-tweeting the #nhdebate tonight. Tune in.

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RightJustifiedSunny Optimist – “With tea party wind at their backs from the ’10 elections, Repubs are in no mood to nominate another McCain.” #NHgop ow.ly/8g3iB

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – Prediction: Buddy Roemer is going to have a pretty quiet night

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stephenkruiserstephenkruiser -#Lions TD. #AlamoBowl Pt. II is under way!

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The Flag Drops – Debate Starts

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stix1972Doug Welch – Debate WOO HOO

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – “And now everything is different!”. Another cheesy debate opening.

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One minute answers and 30 second responses with a traffic light system.

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Why not just ‘SHUT UP” in bright red letters? #NHDebate

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – It is so nice to only have 5 on stage. #NHDebate

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Eek. Diane Sawyer needs Static Guard.

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Diane Sawyer begins with plug for good news on economy. Shocker #NHdebate #hhrs #tcot

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Jamie_WeinsteinJamie Weinstein – Santorum: I’ve managed my bank account

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Rick Santorum steers debate immediately to Iran and C-in-C question, and Diane Sawyer pushes attack on MR. But key q on table #NHdebate

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – Yes. RT @LisaDeP: I think Santorum got botox. #NHdebate

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Santorum is asked to take a shot at Romney as a CEO rather than a leader. He obliges. #NHDebate.

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – I HATE the phrase “grow jobs.” Only Beltway pols say such a thing. Blech.

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mkhammerMary Katharine Ham – FYI, @JimPethokoukis writes about Romney’s Bain time here: ow.ly/1DuSd3

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Gingrich asked about his attack on Romney/pvt sector layoffs. He hides behind NYT.

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @bethanyshondark: I’m not a fan of Gingrich playing into the class warfare rhetoric. Leave that to Obama. #NHDebate

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BryanLongworthBryan Longworth – Romney: “My experience is leadership.” Romney led Massachusetts to implement Romnicare. No thanks.

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – Apparently if your business gains jobs while you’re not sitting in your “boss” chair, they don’t count #nhdebate

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ErnieFowlkeErnie Fowlke – How dare anyone question Romney’s integrity?

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mkhammerMary Katharine Ham – Trying to do both! RT @MattSatchell: @mkhammer screw debate…. GOOOOOOOO LIONS!!!!

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TheDCVinceVince Coglianese – Huntsman paints himself as just like Romney. Good governors. Interesting pairing when he’s attempting to be competitive here.

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postpollsWashington Post poll – 62% in our Dec. poll said Romney’s business experience was major reason to support him wapo.st/tmTIgi #nhdebate

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Audience laughs at Santorum joke as Paul’s mic gets feedback — It happened “because you’re not telling the truth, Ron.” #nhdebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – “You’re not telling the truth Ron.” Bravo @ricksantorum #NHdebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Sanotrum: I think I’m known as a cause guy.

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Santorum slams Paul for citing Soros-backed CREW as evidence he’s corrupt. Strong, calm rejoinder. #nhdebate

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LarrySabatoLarry Sabato – Every minute those candidates aren’t making the case against Romney is a plus for Romney.

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – I feel like Santorum shined is forehead.

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rickkleinRick Klein – Paul just laying into Santorum. And Mitt smiles. #nhdebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Oh hey, Rick Perry.

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mboyle1Matthew Boyle – Perry: I think you’ve seen the reason why I got in this race. I’m really the only outsider here.

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – Rick Perry: “It doesn’t matter if you’re an insider from DC or an insider from Wall St” Or an insider from TX?

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ToadonaWireL – I can tell a debate is going on cuz my Twitter feed is moving at lightening speed! #throttle

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Commander In Chief Question – Huntsman

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Huntsman: Being a commander in chief isn’t about “insider gobbledygook.” What about outsider schnitzerdoodle?

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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JstnCase618Justin Case – Santorum Slams Obama’s ‘Hubris’ and ‘Snobbery’ On Education – Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum slammed … ow.ly/1gAUFD

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FranklinCenterFranklin Center – “We have a serious trust deficit in this country. We no longer trust our institutions of power.” – Jon Huntsman

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DonIrvineDonIrvine – Diane Sawyer tries to egg Huntsman on to specifically attack opponents. #nhdebate #mediabias

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Mitt trains fire on POTUS and Iran “This is a failed presidency”. “Who has the capacity to lead”. marker on supporting nominee

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – Romney is doing his happy dance right now. Literally. That’s how he dances.

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ToadonaWireL – I’d vote for @governorPerry if Newt could feed him info thru an earpiece at debates with Obama.

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Good answer from Perry on the military. #nhdebate

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – Gingrich cannot believe he’s gone from front runner to having to answer chicken hawk charge from Ron Paul. #hhrs

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JoshuabradenpJoshua Price – Glad to hear Perry nail Paul on his earmark hypocrisy… #nhdebate

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – Ron Paul: If you didn’t serve, you can’t be president.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – 30 mins in. Front runner Mitt Romney skating…

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politicalmathPoliticalMath – By the way, Ron Paul. Military suicides? Lower than comparable rates for non-military individuals.

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Ron Paul’s asked about racist newsletters.

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Ron Paul says you can’t concentrate on 20 year old columns as he concentrates on 45 year old draft deferments #NHdebate

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DavidLimbaughDavid Limbaugh – Wow — now the Paul newsletter. This is an Obama freebie, make Republicans look like racists. That’s the point here.

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Paul then tries to play the liberal on race relations. No credibility. #NHDebate

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BREAK

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IngrahamAngleLaura Ingraham – Qs asked &answered have zero to do w/ American decline.

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EditMeDavidDavid Martosko – Round 1 to Romney, mostly by ducking when missiles are lobbed overhead #NHdebate

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guypbensonGuy Benson – Diane Sawyer: “We want to thank you for this first round of the debate.” Romney: “So do I!” #NHdebate

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Back From Break – State’s Rights (banning contraception)

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Another stunner. George brings up abortion #NHdebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Has Mitt really not heard the question about states banning contraception before? Hands it over to Ron Paul?

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Romney not happy about Roe V Wade

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: A state right to ban contraception? Romney says the question is silly since no state would ever do it. Right. #NHDebate

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amandacarpenterAmanda Carpenter – Don’t contraceptives include condoms…? I don’t think those are getting banned, either.

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Romney calls Stephanopoulos out for a really dumb question. What state wants to BAN contraception? #nhdebate

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jeff_poorJeff Poor – Strange hypothetical from George Stephanopoulos… #nhdebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – George violating first rules of holes. #hhrs #tcot. Getting booed.

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – This is what happens when you put Clintonite libs in charge of moderating GOP debates. What the hell? #nhdebate

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TheDCVinceVince Coglianese – George is getting a little frazzled here, especially now that he’s completely lost the audience.

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Gay Marriage?

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – Oh, good. Gay marriage. Obviously, 45 minutes in to an important presidential debate, this is what we should be discussing.

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @jpodhoretz: Next from Stephanopoulos and Sawyer: Gov. Romney, do you wear strange religious underwear? #NHDebate

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ToadonaWireL – How many social issue questions has @ABC asked? They do this on purpose you know.

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derekahunterDerek Hunter – If you think about it, contraception questions are appropriate cuz the ABC moderators are screwing viewers with dumb questions. #NHDebate

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LinBennettLin Bennett – Huntsman did the eyebrow thing again! #scgop

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Gingrich Takes Media To Task

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Newt makes great point about media bias, asking what the Catholic church should do about its adoption efforts.

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @bethanyshondark: “Secular bigotry.” I like that, Newt. #NHDebate

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – newt gingrich home run on anti-christian bigotry in place by mainstream media and the obama administration. #hhrs

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – Actually glad to hear from Newt. Shut it, ABC.

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TheOregonianBooTheOregonian Boo – ABC reporters have egg on face … Way too bigoted too much gay babble .. Insult Catholics #nhdebate

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jstrevinoJoshua Treviño – Mitt: “People in this room feel that Newt is absolutely right …. and I do too.” Of course.

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mkhammerMary Katharine Ham – RT @allahpundit: So awesome that this debate is going to end up being about condoms and media bias #important

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jdhenchmanJoe Henchman – If you’re not watching the debate tonight, you missed Newt Gingrich talk about how much he values the sacrament of marriage. #nhdebate

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Military Service And Troop Deployment

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TheDCVinceVince Coglianese – There was clearly a strategy session at ABC that involved deciding to change course on election coverage vis a vis social issues/foreign pol

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Er, Afghanistan has been a civil war for a lot longer than we’ve been there. What does Huntsman think the Northern Alliance was about?

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – romney not willing to set timetables of withdrawal in afghanistan like huntsman does. smart. timetable we set in iraq will backfire. #hhrs

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KLSoltisKristen Soltis – In IOWA three out of four caucus goers picked economy or budget as top issue. So, yeah, makes sense to talk social issues at length. #ugh

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MelissaTweetsMelissa Clouthier – To reiterate: The purposes of the debates is for the media to make all Republicans look awful. So, they choose… sulia.com/c/new-hampshir…

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JonahNROJonah Goldberg – Newt should put a lava lamp on the lecturn, will shut Diane Sawyer up for the rest of the debate.

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Gingrich changes the topic from Afghanistan to Iran and Egypt. Rightly says it’s a regional problem. #NHDebate

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – 1 hour in. Front runner Mitt Romney unscathed.

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JRubinBloggerJennifer Rubin – Santorum killing Huntsman on Afghanistan

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Sawyer Focuses On Troop Movements

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Chris_MoodyChris Moody – Rick Perry says Iranians can move “literally at the speed of light.” If that’s true, nukes are the least of our problems. #NHDebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Just FYI, the Iraqis wanted to strike a deal to keep some troops in Iraq, too. Perry’s not out of left field on this. #nhdebate

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: The love fest between Gingrich and Santorum is pretty amazing. They’re almost a tag team. #NHDebate

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pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – And Newts brings us back to school.

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Newt gets applause for jabbing at Obama’s Saudi bowing & kowtowing. Bush and Norquist did, too. #nhdebate

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prismsincRic – BRAVO Santorum on “virulent threat” discussion. BRAVO Newt on reminding us Obama bowed to a Saudi King! #NHdebate

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TeamSantorumVATeamSantorumVA – Santorum at #NHDebate on #waronterror: Obama admin trying to fight this politically correct war and not being honest with American people.

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BREAK

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Candidates breaking through moderators Iran boycott. #NHdebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Amazing how much better this debate got when we started talking about issues in 2012 rather than 1965. #nhdebate

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secuppS.E. Cupp – Santorum: “Call evil what it is.”

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JoshuabradenpJoshua Price – As for our national security I think Santorum or Perry would be the best choice… #nhdebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – I think Newt’s doing a good job tonight, but every segment that Romney isn’t hit is a win for Mitt.

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @jpodhoretz: Fred Thompson with reverse mortgages. I wish he could hit reverse on this debate and have @JakeTapper moderate instead.

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Back From Break – Sawyer On Jobs - First Question … Government Investment On Infrastructure?

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PolitisitePolitisite – Had bush made recess appointments, this debate panel would be all over it #nhdebate

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DonIrvineDonIrvine – I’m convinced that the purpose of this debate is so that ABC can give the DNC fodder for more ads. #nhdebate

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RadiobloggerDuane Patterson – mitt romney just lost the chris matthews vote by saying private sector, not gov’t, should focus on road works projects. #hhrs

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kiradavis422Kira Ayn Davis – Gov’t gets in way of creating jobs, taxes too much, regulates too much – Romney #NHDebate

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michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Newt falls for false premise that we need to “invest” more in infrastructure before repealing Obama Big Labor exec orders, preferences.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – I disagree with Santorum philosophically here, but this populist message is great for him politically. He should stress this more.

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @jpodhoretz: We need an infrastructure like China’s, where there is a three-week traffic jam. #NHDebate

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howardfinemanHoward Fineman – scorecard so far: Mitt untouched, sensible, sly-funny; Paul: nasty attacker: Newt: a hit with Catholics; Santorum: defensive, not a star.

—-

secuppS.E. Cupp – Santorum always has an answer. You may not like his answers, but at least he has them.

—-

hughhewittHugh Hewitt – “why not go to zero?”. Did George suffer concussion from Mitt hit on silly contraception questions? #nhdebate

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EWEricksonErick Erickson – “@ShaneyBeeBack: Just noticed Santorum doesn’t have that ‘Im trying to poop’ squint in his right eye that he usually has. #NHDebate”

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TheDCVinceVince Coglianese – Just want to note the nonstop mentions I’m seeing from people wishing @JakeTapper was a moderator tonight.

—-

politicalmathPoliticalMath – Rick Perry: “… so that we’re not being held hostage to companies… countries that are hostile to America” Oops.

—-

secuppS.E. Cupp – Rick Perry jumps in to wax optimistic about America’s potential. Nice contrast with Dr. Paul’s Dr. Evil view of our demise.

—-

EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Now Perry is attacking Paul. Is that why he stayed in the race? Good answer, especially on energy and right-to-work. #nhdebate

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jeff_poorJeff Poor – Observation: How come you never hear Ron Paul attack Obama in these debates?? #nhdebate

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Answer With Question: How come nobody ever sees, or knows what a baby pigeon looks like?

—-

hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Mitt now just blowing off George questions Good model for them all to follow. #NHdebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – The efficiency candidate! RT @gatewaypatriot: Romney just cutting a campaign ad in the middle of the debate here?! #nhdebate

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TinaKorbeTina Korbe – Huntsman reminds me of a conservative in college. Trying to hedge his views to stay on professors’ good sides.

—-

politicalmathPoliticalMath – Romney: “Europe isn’t working in Europe” Campaign theme?

—-

secuppS.E. Cupp – Romney: “This president in his bones doesn’t understand American entrepreneurialism.”

—-

prismsincRic – Romney entertains the idea of a VAT tax but says we don’t want to be like Europe? #wtf #NHDebate

—-

pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale – RT @MelissaTweets: Aw what a sweet soliloquy from Mitt. And managed to answer nothing.

—-

politicalmathPoliticalMath – Santorum: “We don’t put people in classes. Also, I appeal to blue collar workers”

—-

prismsincRic – BINGO!!! @RickSantorum delivers stinging blow to Romney rhetoric!!!! #NHDebate

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PolitisitePolitisite – Class warfare and trianglization is axelrods and liberal election strategy for 2012 Conservatives focus on American dream for all #nhdebate

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @tobincommentary: Gingrich wryly observes that Obama’s effort to create European-style socialist economy is sincere. Good line. #NHDebate

—-

michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Romney talking China. Somewhere, Donald Trump’s are burning. #nhdebate

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bethanyshondarkBethany Mandel – Huntsman: Speaking Chinese on stage doesn’t make you look smart. It makes you look like a smug schmuck. #NHDebate

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freddosofreddoso – RT @jimgeraghty: This is weird. Babelfish translate’s Huntsman’s phrase as “LAUNCH THE ATTACK NOW, BEIJING MASTERS”.

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jdhenchmanJoe Henchman – Huntsman pushes back hard about Romney’s call for a trade war with China. #nhdebate

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BREAK

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ericfidoEric Bearse – can’t wait to see mysterious ron paul group’s next attack ad on Huntsman after that debate exchange

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Jimi971Jimi – Why attack Huntsman? Where is Newt’s nuclear? Where is Santorum’s top dawg talk? Romney still cruises… #TinyTestes

—-

Back From Break – What Would You Be Doing If Not At A Debate?

—-

stix1972Doug Welch – Boxers or Briefs question up next

—-

secuppS.E. Cupp – What would you be doing on a Saturday night? Perry: “Shooting range.”

—-

michellemalkinMichelle Malkin – Newt Gingrich blows his pander answer to sports fans. Says he’d be watching collegiate BASKETBALL game. #doh #nhdebate

—-

Pander, Pander, Pander … Over & Out!

—-

mkhammerMary Katharine Ham – So, did this debate end abruptly?

—-

BrandonKiserBrandon Kiser – Just so we’re clear, Romney just seemed to come out for a trade war. How will China react to his election? #nhdebate

—-

AlexPappasDCAlex Pappas – How wild that Rick Perry was probably the least relevant person in the entire debate?

—-

EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Mitt won that debate by not getting attacked. Perry, Santorum helped themselves; Newt was anti-climatic. Paul and Huntsman — the usual.

—-

politicalmathPoliticalMath – Yes. Yes we do. RT @philipaklein: So do we refer to Romney as “presumptive Republican nominee” now?

—-

hughhewittHugh Hewitt – So much for explosive and confrontational. Romney has to be very very happy, Santorum only slight less so #NHdebate

—-

secuppS.E. Cupp – Debate ends on a “meh.” No big moments, no big surprises tonight. Santorum held up, and Perry had a goodish performance. Mitt was Mitt.

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SooperMexicanel SOOPer – i don’t know who won the debate, but I’m pretty sure Dianne Sawyer won the debate drinking game…

—-

RedStateRedState – The Biggest Mistake of the Worst Debate bit.ly/zlC7zK #TCOT #RS

—-

Dean_LDean_L – #NHDebate That debate was so spectacular they should go ahead have another one in 12 hours or so.

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End Of Debate

—-

Set your alarm clocks, because this debate starts Sunday at 9 a.m. Eastern Time, only two days before the nation’s first primary in the Granite State. The audience can tune in or log on in a number of ways, in what promises to be a spirited debate following the wild finish between Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney in Iowa. Not only will the debate stream live on the “Meet the Press” Facebook page and Facebook’s U.S. Politics page, but viewers can share questions and comment on the action throughout the event. Image Credit: allfacebook.com

Debate #2 – The Facebook and NBC News debate (Preview) will be moderated by “Meet the Press” host David Gregory, who will be joined by the New Hampshire Union Leader (NH paper of record that endorsed Newt Gingrich).

TWEETS

LarrySabatoLarry Sabato – Free suggestion for NBC: Do yourself a favor & don’t ask about contraception.

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prismsincRic – NewsBusters: Just How Political Can Richard Cordray Be? bit.ly/xq1sHQ #tcot #ocra #ampat

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TuckerCarlsonTucker Carlson – Ron Paul is the only candidate on stage, 45 min. before air time. Looks exactly the same as he did last night.

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newtgingrichNewt Gingrich – Good morning. Pls follow @newt2012hq and @newt2012nh for updates during the debate.

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PalinspiredInspired by Palin – Note to GOP Debaters, if question is not about spending/debt..reply is “you ignorant liberal media type, give me a real question” #TCOT

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Begin Introduction – One min with 30 Sec. response

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TPMTalking Points Memo – AP fact check: Romney struggles on jobs claim tpm.ly/wVGGKI

—-

BEGIN

—-

TPMTalking Points Memo – First Q to Newt: Why shouldn’t Romney be the nominee?

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @sethamandel: This debate already sounding strangely like the one that ended ten hours ago. #NBCFBDebate

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Romney notes that many conservatives who don’t have any “axe to grind” are backing him.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Santorum: If Romney’s record was so great, why didn’t he run for re-election? “Why did you bail out?”

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ZekeJMillerZeke Miller – Strong answer from Santorum right here, but is it too late to matter? #whydidhebail?

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Santorum hitting Mitt: “He ran from Ronald Reagan.”

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @bethanyshondark: “And if your record as Sen of PA was so great, why weren’t you reelected?” – how Mitt should answer Santorum #NBCDebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissee – Low bar. RT @mattklewis: This debate is already better than last night’s debate.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Newt to Mitt: “Can we drop the pious bologna?”

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Wow, now Romney is the issue. Better than condoms.

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Newt. Can we drop the pious baloney. That’s what we were looking for last night #NBCdebate

—-

Queue Dr. Paul

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prismsincRic – David Gregory is too busy delving in labels #NBCfail #NBCdebate

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @sethamandel: Ron Paul: Can you please start asking serious questions? We are running for president. Thank you. #NBCdebate—-

howardfinemanHoward Fineman – Newt and Santo bomb and now Paul now blast Romney. This is the Mitt Moment

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FloridaJayhawkFloridaJayhawk – Mitt Romney has lost more races & primaries in his life than ANYONE on the stage! Mitt Romney’s Record is like 1-10 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – David Gregory is using a “hurry-up offense.” Love it.

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Rick Perry makes his pitch effectively to the Tea Party in SC #NBCdebate

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guypbensonGuy Benson – Perry, asked about Romney, instantly attacks Santorum. #NHdebate

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chucktoddChuck Todd – Huntsman with perhaps his toughest retort on Romney yet. It took him 14 debates. #nbcfbdebate

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Say what you will about Jon Huntsman, but there’s nothing dishonorable about serving your nation as a diplomat (even in a Dem admin.)

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @alanagoodman: Huntsman is not doing himself any favors with this. He comes off as overly sensitive. #NBCDebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – “This nation is divided because of attitudes like that.” Gov Huntsman may believe that but the vast majority of GOP doesn’t #NBCdebate

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JFKucinichJackie Kucinich – Gingrich going back to attacking the moderator

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @sethamandel: Gregory: Name three constituencies you will struggle with in the general election after answering this question. #NBCdebate

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daveweigeldaveweigel – Newt’s fed up with “highly paid Washington commentators.” He will also sign a copy of his new book for you.

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JECarter4James Carter – Maybe he’s a morning person. RT @mattklewis: Perry doing well right now. Talking faster than usual. (And making sense.)

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BREAK

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – So, about that threat by Iran to attack a carrier…..#NBCdebate

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sirbriantoddBrian Perkins – Ron Paul is wrong: the Soviets came down because we took them down. Remember the fall of the Berlin Wall? #nhdebate

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guypbensonGuy Benson – Much rougher first round for Romney than last night. Three rivals landed blows. Were any of them memorable/lasting? #Meh

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Back From Break

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Ah. Not quite hell, then. More like purgatory. RT @Mattie96

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DavidMDruckerDavid M. Drucker ~~– @~~RickSantorum‘s skill as extemp speaker was on display in his attack on @MittRomney‘s decsion not to run 4 re-elec as MA Gov. #nbcfbdebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Romney strong answer on governing with Democrats appealing to NH indies #NBCdebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Romney one-ups a strong answer on bipartisanship from Newt by saying, well, I did that. #NBCdebate

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mckaycoppinsMcKay Coppins – Ron Paul to Congress: It’s not me, it’s you.

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Gegory’s Facebook has anything mentioning Iran blocked?

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FixAaronAaron Blake – For those who missed SNL’s Santorum opening last night, here it is… thedc.com/xEr3W0

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Gregory declares “Here’s the reality…”. Does anyone trust the next statement from an Obama partisan like David Gregory?

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BuzzFeedBenBen Smith – We’re giving short shrift to Paul’s reaching across the aisle to work with Dennis Kucinich on stuff.

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prismsincRic – Rick Santorum outlines the concerns of a Ron Paul Presidency perfectly #NBCdebate #NHdebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Huntsman: Bring term limits to Congress … and then make sure they don’t work in politics again. Yeah, that’ll pass. #NBCfbdenate

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LEADERSHIP – Perry – What would you do to make Republicans uncomfortable?

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LarrySabatoLarry Sabato – The woman over David Gregory’s shoulder is asleep. The debate is good enough so that I’m awake.

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – His supporters? RT @CapehartJ Perry: “I’m making a lot of Republicans nervous by talking…….”

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BREAK

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markdavisMark Davis – Perry gets last word, last dig at conservatism of rivals before commercial break. He and Santorum scoring nicely #nbcfbdebate #nhdebate

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TheFixThe Fix – For those saying Huntsman is charismatic: EVERY answer is delivered in the exact same tone/cadence. Not dynamic.

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howardfinemanHoward Fineman – New poll shows Huntsman in third place and rising to double digits, which is why Paul is attacking. Also, Mitt down to 35 percent.

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Back From Break

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – This election is clearly about heating assistance and contraception. Clearly.

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MonicaCrowleyMonica Crowley – @GovernorPerry hitting hard on spending & limited govt. He was sharp & focused last night too. Keep going, Rick!

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Tom1247Tom Dougherty – Without heat you need contraception :-) RT @mattklewis: This election is clearly about heating assistance and contraception. Clearly.

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prismsincRic – Ron Paul “supply and demand of oil in your bedroom while you keep papers in your dresser and money in your mattress blah blah bla” #NHDebate

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DrewHampshireDrew Cline – During break, Santorum and Gingrich aides arguing over who gets to use the metal folding chair

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Gay rights and contraception. Thank you for extending an already pointless question even further.

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – “Right now.” non-discrimination is the key, and Romney’s answer perfect #NBCdebate

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alanagoodmanAlana Goodman – Audience laughs when Santorum is asked whether he’d be a voice to speak out for gay rights in the GOP.

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kirstenpowers10kirsten powers – Poor moderator disappointed that Santorum didnt say he would disown gay son.

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @SethAMandel: Romney: Some of my best appointments were gay… #NBCdebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Good thing we are back on gay rights and aren’t worried about Iran, terrorism from Al Qaeda, loss of Iraq….#NBCdebate

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BREAK – 1 Hour

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guypbensonGuy Benson – Perry name-checks Jim DeMint. #SouthCarolinasComing

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Viewers whose NBC stations switch programs RT @daveweigel: People who overslept. RT @TheFix: Winners after the first hour?

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Back From Break

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mollyesqueMolly Ball – Gingrich, who did NH local issues last night, mispronouncing DiStaso!

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TheFixThe Fix – Again, Newt thinks too highly of himself to just keep bashing Romney. Which is why Newt isn’t going to win. #nbcfbdebate

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prismsincRic – Moderators have yet to learn, ask Newt a stupid question, he will make you look stupid #NBCdebate #NHDebate

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guypbensonGuy Benson - RT @kirstenpowers10: I’m sure Obama is going to get 40 questions about gay marriage in the debates, since after all he opposes it too.

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Great answer from Newt on EPA. RT @hughhewitt: Newt: EPA’s record increasingly radical and imperious. Perfect. #NBCdebate

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jdhenchmanJoe Henchman – MSNBC picked people for the front row behind the moderator who are now asleep. #nbcfbdebate

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allahpunditAllah Pundit – RT @TheFix: “We have a president who is a socialist.” — Rick Perry. #nbcfbdebate

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guypbensonGuy Benson – Perry: President Obama “doesn’t reflect our founding fathers.” Lefty race-baiting in 3…2…1…. #NBCdebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Gregory to Santorum: Admit it, you love socialism and it’s really cool. Santorum to Gregory: Pay attention to my answers, please.

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prismsincRic – Romney talks up energy sector while continuing to abandon a dying manufacturing sector #NBCdebate #NHDebate

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CommentaryCommentary Magazine – RT @sethamandel: New Suffolk tracking poll shows Huntsman, not Santorum, benefiting from Romney’s slide in the state. #NBCdebate

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PalinspiredInspired by Palin – Ron Paul “Entitlements are not rights” “Liberty is the only right” #TCOT

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – What, that “live free or die” question wasn’t a finale? Weird.

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BREAK – Final Questions at 30 seconds – What we can’t live with a nuclear Iran?

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Santorum – Ideology/Theocracy – We have a weak president

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mattklewisMatt K. Lewis – Santorum makes a logical point about why a theocracy might be more dangerous with the bomb than atheistic Communists.

—–

Gingrich … you called Romney a liar

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DavidLimbaughDavid Limbaugh – RT @JonahNRO: During commercial break, Gingrich seen sharpening a toothbrush into a shiv.

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Shorter Gingrich: Put your trust in the NYT and WaPo, conservatives. This will go over very well with conservatives.

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ericfidoEric Bearse – Romney just said he hasn’t seen the ads and just described one in detail.

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – Romney: Hey, thanks for letting me use all the attack lines from the ads in the middle of the debate.

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FixAaronAaron Blake – Newt needs to be careful with these super PAC criticisms. His PAC just got a $5M infusion and I’m guessing they go negative. #

NBCFBdebate

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hughhewittHugh Hewitt – Newt was having a good debate but last round hurt him with GOP voters because Democrats/MSM cheering it #NBCdebate

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ZekeJMillerZeke Miller – Paul: I would continue doing what I’m doing now — preaching the gospel of liberty.

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BREAK … And End! If it’s Sunday, it’s Meet The Press!

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RyanLizzaRyan Lizza – OMG, they totally bamboozled us into thinking there was more debate after the break and there wasn’t.

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – New movie – The Manchesterville Horror, with every NH event venue whispering to Republicans, “GET OOOUUUTTTT.”

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daveweigeldaveweigel – Subtle graphics work in Romney press emails yfrog.com/odfxup

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Lady_PatriotLady Patriot – Romney said, “I haven’t seen the ads” & immediately said, “The one I saw….” BTW, I hate this topic. Whining is for Democrats. #NBCdebate

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EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey – RT @DanRiehl: Don’t think Newt cares about winning/losing debate at this point. He’s on a mission. #NBCdebate

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prismsincRic – DING! RT @JoeWumbus NH is liberal. They will vote liberal. Don’t be surprised at Romney win in NH. Proves he’s most liberal guy in the bunch

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Greenberg in post debate comments: NH is the Kyber Pass in American politics.

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mkhammerMary Katharine Ham – Like! RT @OKnox: Would a network please pretend to hold a debate and then broadcast ONLY the candidate banter during breaks?!? #nbcfbdebate

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prismsincRic – HUNTSMAN! LOL MT @StevenErtelt: Debate wrap: Campaign a race b/t Mitt & Santorum, Newt becoming whiny; Perry invisible, Paul nothing new

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PalinspiredInspired by Palin – Vote RINO Willard Romney, he’s able to tell you in detail about TV Ads he has NOT seen. Superman powers. LOL #TCOT

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END

"Occupy Rose Parade" A Failure On Any Measure

2012-01-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

Occupy protesters march at the end of the 123rd Tournament of Roses Parade on Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena Monday, January 2, 2012 [ctrl-click image to see "Occupy Rose Parade" slideshow]. Image Credit: SGVN/Staff Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/SXCITY

"Occupy Rose Parade" A Failure On Any Measure

On observation, the Occupy Wall Street's attempt to gain sympathy and support for their movement ended up being a complete failure on most any measure one wishes to apply to the display and its execution.

First off, very little media attention of their actual display and end-of-parade walk for the first mile and a half of the five and a half mile parade route was to be found on a Google search of "Occupy Rose Parade" - total postings and RSS feed pick-ups show only 24 listing Results. Any New Media writer knows that when one self-publishes, one must self-syndicate in order to increase Google search results on the title or subject of any article ... 24 item Results after 24 hours of an event is weak by any standard, let alone the platform the Rose Parade provides to a world audience. An estimated 40 million people viewed this year's procession of 43 floats, 16 marching bands and 22 equestrian troupes on U.S. television alone.

The first Rose Parade took place in 1890 and was attended by 2,000 people. The attendance has grown to one million parade goers lining Colorado Blvd. over the last few years.

Upon reading the stories leading up to the actual event, the "Occupy Rose Parade" organizers were hoping for tens-of-thousands of people turning out to participate in their side-bar, soft sanctioned, end-of-parade event. The initial projections provided by spokesman and organizer Peter Thottam estimated that 40,000 Occupy Movement (OWS) sympathizers would attend the demonstration but in hours before the parade, settled on the number of 3,000 demonstrators which the MSM press services of AP and Reuters picked-up and used as the template for all of their postings used by newspaper and television news broadcasts on the subject.

Actual estimates of the people who marched in the parade came to about 400 people. The official policy of the Pasadena Police Department is that they do not issue crowd estimates but when pushed, the Pasadena Police Department estimated that no more than 400 "Occupy Rose Parade" protesters marched the route and were joined by people from the crowd leaving the parade event, which made the actual protest seem larger.

Lastly, about the only people who took notice of this soft sanctioned, end-of-parade event were the real political activists who actually have a message people can relate to, and, to be frank, did not have to show up to act as a counter-weight to the "Occupy Rose Parade" protest effort. The Pasadena Tea Party Patriots, also known as TEAPAC, were upset by what they felt was the politicizing of the Rose Parade event and promised to stage their own protest if the city and the Tournament of Roses did not keep "Occupy Rose Parade" from demonstrating within the actual parade.

TEAPAC leader Michael Alexander said, "Occupy has no business in the parade, and neither do we. "But fair is fair and if the city and the (TofR) allow the parade to be politicized then we are going to be there."

So, the last failure of Occupy Rose Parade was that they were unable to have TEAPAC (and other serious political action organizations) take the bait and swell their protest crowd with a sizable counter-demonstration for the corporate media wire services to write about.

One has to ask - If 400 people in a parade and crowd of over 1,000,000 people represent "the 99%", just who are the rest of the parade and crowd of over 1,000,000 people ... the 1%?

The weather was perfect, the parade was beautiful, the Rose Bowl game came to a perfect conclusion with Oregon winning over Wisconsin in the highest scoring Rose Bowl game ever (Oregon Ducks, 45 - Wisconsin Badgers, 38), and 400 ineffective politically-progressive agitators were adsorbed (and nearly erased) by the general public as they left the parade route to get to their cars and get on with their first business day of the 2012 year holiday, happy being personally-free Americans.

<Article first seen as “Occupy Rose Parade” A Failure On Any Measure at Technorati>

Best Argument For A Newt Gingrich GOP Nomination Out Of Iowa

2012-01-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

In a tweet minutes after Deace announced his endorsement, Gingrich tweeted "my thanks to @SteveDeaceShow for his endorsement tonight." Image Credit: The Vault at steavedeace.com

Best Argument For A Newt Gingrich GOP Nomination Out Of Iowa

Influential Iowa state based radio talk show host, Steve Deace, endorses a vote for Newt Gingrich as the next Republican nominee for President of the United States and puts forth the best argument placed so far.

Steve Deace, a popular social conservative radio talk show host whose program is heard statewide in Iowa is backing Newt Gingrich for president and puts forward his reasoning in a way that allows one to cut through the mountain of irrelevant talking points on every candidate, they are all fatally flawed. Deace comes forward with a standout nugget of truth as to how our country has wandered so far off of its personal-freedom based tracks and should appeal to all of those who hold to what the Tea Party movement brought forward in its activism over the past couple of years - simply stated, our country needs to get back to core values informed through the United States Constitution, the Bill-Of-Rights, and the Rule-Of-Law.

The nugget is the singular recognition by Newt Gingrich that one branch of Government is allowed to operate without any check or balance, the Judicial Branch, and needs to be put back in equilibrium with the other two branches ... The Executive Branch (the office of the President) and Legislative Branch (the House of Representatives and the Senate).

This excerpted and edited from The Vault at steavedeace.com -

Why I Am Endorsing Newt Gingrich for President
30 December 2011 - 17:34 GMT - By Steve Deace

This country is in trouble and bold leadership is needed. As someone that has had the privilege to vet these candidates as closely as just about anybody else has, I’ve come to the conclusion there are several good, Christian people running that most years I would vote for.

However, this isn’t most years.

Sadly, there are only two candidates offering a real means by which to actually undo that which the Left has done to this country for the past 50 years, and not just conservative platitudes. One of those candidates is Ron Paul, but his foreign policy is naive at best and reckless at worst. The other is Newt Gingrich, who has campaigned on what I believe is the most important issue facing us as a people — the loss of the rule of law.

The Left has used unelected judges and judicial oligarchy to reinvent the American way of life, from secularism to the loss of the sanctity of life, to the redefining of marriage, the confiscation of private property, and the granting of imaginary rights. There is an entire chapter of my new book devoted to the need for conservatives and Christians to confront judicial oligarchy once and for all. I have spent the past two years of my radio program educating my audience on this issue, and was a vocal proponent of Iowa’s historic judicial retention election last year, and Newt’s assistance with that effort was vital.

After offering every candidate in the race the chance to show they understand the gravity of this issue, Gingrich is the only one who has demonstrated he does, and can also use the bully pulpit of the presidency to educate Americans on the need to return to the rule of law.
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Electing another Obamney from the ruling class changes nothing. Electing another nice conservative with no proven ability to govern or a killer instinct to take on the system changes nothing, even if it makes us all feel warm and fuzzy inside.

This is a time for leadership, not warm fuzzies. The future is at stake, and we may never get another environment with the country so prepared to challenge the system as we have right now.
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It is my hope the other Republican candidates will follow Gingrich’s bold leadership in providing the country a true alternative to President Obama.

It is my prayer that next year that for once we actually have something to vote for, and not just something to vote against. I am making this endorsement in the hopes that will be the case. Sometimes the most broken people are the ones God does the most tremendous work through. I know that has been true in my life.
[Reference Here]

The Constitution, the Bill-Of-Rights, and the Rule-Of-Law represent the recipe by which we begin to have the Government become right-sized and functional once again for all citizens who wish to recapture what Ronald Reagan called "the shining city on the hill" ... a personal-freedom based United States of America with equal justice and access to all of its citizens.

<Article first seen as Best Argument For A Newt Gingrich Nomination Out Of Iowa at Technorati>

An American President's Christmas Message From America To All

2011-12-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

An American President's Christmas Message From America To All

It may amaze one to ponder that only 30 years ago (December 23, 1981), a President of the United States felt it was his leadership duty to speak directly about the reason for the season and assure all, whether they believed in Christianity or not, that our country and its citizens were protected here as one, under "Faith and Freedom" ... regardless of belief or circumstance.

May God bless the memory of Ronald Reagan. A message as poignant and timeless in 1981 as it is here in 2011.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

It Is Time To Dump John Boehner As House Leader

2011-12-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

Congressman Boehner caves to the nonfactual position and political tactics of the Senate Democrats led by the 44th President of the United States on tax policy extension. Image Credit: johnboehner.house.gov

It Is Time To Dump John Boehner As House Leader

John Boehner is the worst leader of the Republican party in the House of Representatives in over sixty years (maybe longer). The latest evidence of this horrible level of leadership is shown on how he continues to have trouble closing the door on original arguments made and legislation passed when the opposition is able to out-and-out lie and get away with it.

Facts are facts, and lies are lies ... it is time that the American people have a leader of the Republican party in the House of Representatives that knows how to communicate the difference and stand for the truth.

This excerpted and edited from The White House - Office of the Press Secretary

Remarks by the President on the Payroll Tax Cut
South Court Auditorium - December 22, 2011, 1:00 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Please have a seat. Good afternoon to all of you. Merry Christmas. Happy holidays.
----
Now, on Saturday, we reached a bipartisan compromise that would do just that -- make sure that people aren’t seeing a tax cut the first of the year; make sure that they still have unemployment insurance the first of the year. Nearly every Democrat in the Senate voted for that compromise. Nearly every Republican in the Senate voted for that compromise. Democrats and even some Republicans in the House voted for that compromise. I am ready to sign that compromise into law the second it lands on my desk.

So far, the only reason it hasn’t landed on my desk -- the only reason -- is because a faction of House Republicans have refused to support this compromise. [this is because the Republicans and some Democrats in the House of Representatives passed an extension that was for one year and received back a bill to approve that was for only two months]

Now, if you’re a family making about $50,000 a year, this is a tax cut that amounts to about $1,000 a year [WRONG - the compromise amounts to only 1/6th of this amount or about $160.00]. That’s about 40 bucks out of every paycheck [for two months as opposed to what the House of Representatives had approved ... 12 months]. It may be that there's some folks in the House who refuse to vote for this compromise because they don’t think that 40 bucks is a lot of money. But anyone who knows what it’s like to stretch a budget knows that at the end of the week, or the end of the month, $40 can make all the difference in the world [the President is arguing for a continued return of $160.00 as opposed to $1,000.00].

And that’s why we thought we’d bring your voices into this debate. So many of these debates in Washington end up being portrayed as which party is winning, which party is losing. But what we have to remind ourselves of is this is about people. This is about the American people and whether they win. It's not about a contest between politicians [NO - this is all about the President and Senate Democrats only wishing to extend the tax policy for two (2) months as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for one (1) full year].

So on Tuesday, we asked folks to tell us what would it be like to lose $40 out of your paycheck every week [the President and Senate Democrats for eight (8) weeks as opposed to House Republicans fifty-two (52) weeks]. And I have to tell you that the response has been overwhelming. We haven't seen anything like this before. Over 30,000 people have written in so far -- as many as 2,000 every hour. We’re still hearing from folks -- and I want to encourage everybody who's been paying attention to this to keep sending your stories to WhiteHouse.gov and share them on Twitter and share them on Facebook.

The responses we’ve gotten so far have come from Americans of all ages and Americans of all backgrounds, from every corner of the country. Some of the folks who responded are on stage with me here today, and they should remind every single member of Congress what’s at stake in this debate. Let me just give you a few samples.

Joseph from New Jersey talked about how he would have to sacrifice the occasional pizza night with his daughters. He said -- and I'm quoting -- “My 16-year-old twins will be out of the house soon. I'll miss this.” [I thought that Michelle Obama and "My Plate" wanted the American people to eat healthier - no pizza | the President and Senate Democrats only wish Joseph and his family to have an occasional pizza night with his family two (2) months as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for a one (1) full year extension]

Richard from Rhode Island wrote to tell us that having an extra $40 in his check buys enough heating oil to keep his family warm for three nights. In his words -- I'm quoting -- “If someone doesn't think that 12 gallons of heating oil is important, I invite them to spend three nights in an unheated home. Or you can believe me when I say that it makes a difference.” [The President and Senate Democrats only wish Richard from Rhode Island to have fuel to heat his home for two (2) months as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for a one (1) full year extension]

Pete from Wisconsin told us about driving more than 200 miles each week to keep his father-in-law company in a nursing home -- $40 out of his paycheck would mean he'd only be able to make three trips instead of four. [The President and Senate Democrats wish to allow Pete from Wisconsin to visit his father-in-law in a nursing home for two (2) months as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for a one (1) full year extension]

We heard from a teacher named Claire from here in D.C. who goes to the thrift store every week and uses her own money to buy pencils and books for her fourth grade class. Once in a while she splurges on science or art supplies. Losing $40, she says, would mean she couldn’t do that anymore. [The President and Senate Democrats wish to allow Teacher Claire from D.C. to visit the thrift store every week and use her own money to buy pencils and books for her fourth grade class for two (2) months as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for a one (1) full year extension]

For others, $40 means dinner out with a child who's home for Christmas, a new pair of shoes, a tank of gas, a charitable donation. These are the things at stake for millions of Americans. They matter to people. A lot. [NO - this is all about the President and Senate Democrats only wishing to extend the tax policy for two (2) months as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for one (1) full year]

And keep in mind that those are just the individual stories. That doesn’t account for the overall impact that a failure to extend the payroll tax cut and a failure to extend unemployment insurance would have on the economy as a whole. We've seen the economy do better over the last couple of months, but there's still a lot of sources of uncertainty out there -- what's going on in Europe, what's going on around the world. And so this is insurance to make sure that our recovery continues. [NO - this is all about the President and Senate Democrats only wishing to extend the tax policy for two (2) months an maintaining UNCERTAINTY as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for one (1) full year thus eliminating UNCERTAINTY for 12 months]

So it's time for the House to listen to the voices who are up here, the voices all across the country, and reconsider. What’s happening right now is exactly why people just get so frustrated with Washington. This is it; this is exactly why people get so frustrated with Washington. This isn’t a typical Democratic-versus-Republican issue [NO - this is all about the President and Senate Democrats only wishing to extend the tax policy for two (2) months as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for one (1) full year]. This is an issue where an overwhelming number of people in both parties agree {to extend current tax policy for one full year as opposed to a minority of Democrats holding this issue hostage and have it be talked about in another two months}. How can we not get that done? I mean, has this place become so dysfunctional that even when people agree to things we can't do it? (Applause.) It doesn’t make any sense. [NO - this is all about the President and Senate Democrats only wishing to extend the tax policy for two (2) months as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for one (1) full year]

So, enough is enough. The people standing with me today can’t afford any more games. They can’t afford to lose $1,000 [another lie - two months is only $160.00 as opposed to the $1,000.00] because of some ridiculous Washington standoff [by you, Barack Obama and the Senate Democrats]. The House needs to pass a short-term version of this compromise, and then we should negotiate an agreement as quickly as possible to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance for the rest of 2012 [NO - all of the Republicans in the House passed a bill for one (1) full year already]. It's the right thing to do for the economy, and it's, most importantly, the right thing to do for American families all across the country.

This is not just my view. Just a few hours ago, this is exactly what the Republican Leader of the Senate said we should do [NO - this is all about the President and Senate Democrats only wishing to extend the tax policy for two (2) months as opposed to all of the Republicans in the House passing a bill for one (1) full year - Senator Mitch McConnell needs to be dumped as well for he will not stand for the truth over lies]. Democrats agree with the Republican Leader of the Senate. We should go ahead and get this done. This should not be hard. We all agree it should happen [all Democrats and one Republican in the Senate]. I believe it's going to happen sooner or later. Why not make it sooner, rather than later? [EXACTLY - agree to the one full year extension NOW ... not later] Let’s give the American people -- the people who sent us here -- the kind of leadership they deserve.

Thank you, everybody. (Applause.)

END
1:08 P.M. EST
[Reference Here]

The fact of the matter is that we will hear the following on the Sunday news shows ... pre-taped for Christmas Sunday.

SNEAK PEEK - CBS News correspondent predictions for 2012, pre-taped for Christmas Day edition of "Face the Nation":

--Nancy Cordes, Congressional Correspondent: "I think a day of reckoning is coming between House Speaker John Boehner and his number two man, Eric Cantor, because they have been on opposites sides of almost every major fight this year."

--Bob Schieffer, Chief Washington Correspondent and "Face the Nation" anchor: "I think we'll see a wholesale turnover in the congress. I think we'll see more incumbents turned out of office, both Republicans and Democrats, than in any time since I've been in Washington, and that's been a long time." (41 years!)
(ht: Politico)

Again, facts are facts, and lies are lies ... it is time that the American people have a leader of the Republican party in the House of Representatives [an the United States Senate] that knows how to communicate the difference and stand for the facts.

<Article first seen as It Is Time To Dump John Boehner As House Leader at Technorati>

Sioux City Iowa Final GOP Debate Tweet-By-Tweet

2011-12-16T07:19:00.000-08:00

Seven candidates have taken the stage in Sioux City, Iowa, for the final debate before the Jan. 3 caucuses. Image Credit: FOX News

Sioux City Iowa Final GOP Debate Tweet-By-Tweet

The gloves will be thrown on the ice in tonight’s debate from Sioux City. The debate should be “Zany” and wholly “Madcap”! Good god, what in the H E double-toothpicks is Romney thinking and who uses language like this as an ad hominem attack, let alone in a “today” conversation. Leave It To Beaver (original series) hasn’t been on the air in nearly 50 years!

We follow the reactions via 140 characters or less via Twitter in a process entitled Tweet-By-Tweet:

pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale

All pumped up to livetweet #iowadebate! WHO’S EXCITED??!!?!?11!

PolitisitePolitisite

New Post Fox News Live – Video – Fox News politisite.com/?p=34376 #tcot #p2 #PS

TeamSantorumTXTeamSantorumTX

Why This Iowan Is Supporting @RickSantorum… for Now – Yahoo! News news.yahoo.com/why-iowan-supp… via @YahooNews

lesliecarbonelesliecarbone

If beating Obama is No. 1 goal for Repub’s, they seriously need a more robust vision of success.

DonIrvineDonIrvine

This has got to be better than the biased #abcdebate last week. #iowadebate

CommentaryCommentary Magazine

RT @tobincommentary: Electability? Can’t wait for Santorum to brag about winning in 94 and 00 & omitting landslide loss in 08. #IowaDebate.

pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale

Orrin Hatch has a higher ACU rating than Newt. I’m unimpressed, Newt. #iowadebate

prismsincRic

Paulbrow again #IowaDebate

paconnerPaul Conner

Newt says he balanced the budget four straight years. Actually, it was two years bit.ly/sD5bfg

freddosofreddoso

RT @StevenErtelt: Paul: “Anybody up here could probably beat Obama” – totally avoi

michellemalkinMichelle Malkin

Santorum wants people to catch fire. Yikes.

BryanLongworthBryan Longworth

9:08pm: The reply from Rick Santorum was an #ANSWER live.foxnews.com

EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey

Santorum takes shot at Newt’s personal life? #iowadebate

SmalltalkwithtT

Ron Paul’s foreign poilcy is not American majority. #IstandwithIsrael #iowadebate

mboyle1Matthew Boyle

Romney’s makes the private sector case against the field again

hopeforamericahopeforamerica

Romney: “I know what it takes to put Americans back to work with high paying jobs.” So they can afford $10,000 bets. #iowadebate

foxnewspoliticsfoxnewspolitics

#iowadebate Michele Bachmann not afraid to tell people her age — 50 years being a “real person,” five as a congresswoman = 55

sanuzisSaul Anuzis

The GOP debate is on, good start and I agree with Paul…any of these candidates can beat Obama.

EdMorrisseyEdMorrissey

Rather than have this round of Qs for 15 mins, why not just allow the candidates a 1-min opening statement? #iowadebate

mboyle1Matthew Boyle

Rick Perry plays the Tim Tebow card….

pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale

“I’m the Tim Tebow of the Iowa Caucus.” – Perry #iowadebate

currentCurrent TV

Huntsman uses his first question to take a shot at Donald Trump, who already pulled out of debate. #politicallydirect

JimPethokoukisJames Pethokoukis

Keep it family friendly, Huntsman “We are getting screwed as Americans”

michellemalkinMichelle Malkin

MUTE BUTTON #iowadebate #huntsman

pinkelephantpunTabitha Hale

Forreal. Ugh. RT @michellemalkin: MUTE BUTTON #iowadebate #huntsman

HeresAnotherTipUncle Mike

9:18pm: The reply from Rick Perry was a #DODGE live.foxnews.com

justin_hartJustin Hart

Santorum is a really good guy. He needs to work on his head shaking. Hold still. U will come across better #iowadebate

hopeforamericahopeforamerica

Newt just mentioned Saul Alinsky. #RedMeatForIowaConservatives #iowadebate

stix1972Doug Welch

Geez who needs to watch the debacle in Iowa when you have twitter #Iowadebate. snarkfactor is a 10

CommentaryCommentary Magazine

RT @sethamandel: It’s a good way for Romney to trumpet his experience, but reminds voters he wrote bills w/Teddy Kennedy. #iowadebate

justin_hartJustin Hart

Newt’s tenor always has this underlying: “Everyone knows this to be true” quality #iowadebate

ReconChestyGunny Highway

Ron Paul…. Kooky as ever!!! Sheesh!! #tcot #IowaDebate

amandacarpenterAmanda Carpenter

There is something about John Huntsman that distinctly reminds me of Mr. Rogers.

guypbensonGuy Benson

I don’t think I learned anything in that first segment, except that Romney blew it on Jet Blue. #iowadebate

BREAK

Read More (Politisite.com)

Mitt - Gingrich Out-Demonize Each Other In Obama-Style Class-Warfare Attacks

2011-12-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

Trading accusations of greed, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich challenged each other Monday to return millions made in private business as the race for the GOP presidential nomination turned increasingly acerbic and personal at the start of a three-week sprint to the Iowa caucuses. Image Credit: StarTribune

Mitt - Gingrich Out-Demonize Each Other In Obama-Style Class-Warfare Attacks

Yesterday, Mitt Romney made a point that Newt Gingrich should pay back monies he was paid by Freddie Mac, a money loosing, quasi-government mortgage funding organization, for a consulting services contract he had made with the management.

Newt Gingrich felt compelled to jump ugly back into the fray at Mitt Romney by saying Romney should pay back the monies he made through downsizing corporations to make them more efficient and profitable.

This is a lose-lose tennis match where on one side, it is no one's business what one gets paid for consulting services (just, why is Freddie Mac, and its partner organization, Fannie Mae in business on taxpayer money in the first place?), and on the other hand, the Communist/Socialist argument on Capitalism where corporate leaders are able to benefit personally from an increase in profits due to making a company, and its products more attractive to consumers and the needs the company's efforts fill.

This excerpted and edited from the StarTribune -

Greed is the issue this time: Romney and Gingrich trade barbs as 3-week sprint to Iowa begins
Article by: KASIE HUNT and STEVE PEOPLES , Associated Press - Updated: December 13, 2011 - 1:00 AM

Far from Iowa, the two men campaigned miles apart from each other in next-up New Hampshire, where Romney has long dominated in polls but where Gingrich is aggressively working to make inroads. Romney called on Gingrich to return the estimated $1.6 million he received for providing strategic advice to Freddie Mac, the quasi-government agency that guarantees home mortgages. Gingrich has said he acted as a historian, not a lobbyist.

"That would make him the highest paid historian in history," Romney told Fox News Channel during an interview from the Chez Vachon diner, a regular New Hampshire stop for presidential candidates. He suggested that Gingrich was an ultimate insider who leveraged his position as a former House speaker to line his pockets when he left office. Said Romney: "One of the things that I think people recognize in Washington is that people go there to serve the people and then they stay there to serve themselves."

Gingrich, campaigning in nearby Londonderry, countered quickly, saying that Romney should give back the millions he made working at Bain Capital, a venture capital firm that sometimes laid people off as part of its efforts to make businesses more efficient. "If Governor Romney would give back all the money he's earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over the years at Bain, then I would be glad to listen to him," Gingrich said. "But I bet you $10 — not $10,000 — that he won't take the offer." That was a dig at Romney's offer of a $10,000 wager with Rick Perry at Saturday night's debate.

Unbowed, Romney chided Gingrich anew, saying: "There's a big difference between working in the private economy and working on K Street, and working as a lobbyist and working as a legislator, and working to connect businesses with government." Romney's campaign also pressed the notion of Gingrich as a Washington insider, with news releases labeling him an "unreliable leader" and pictured with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.
[Reference Here]

If one were to side with the Gingrich argument (in retort), one would be siding with Barack Obama and continue the the cultural and economic slide into the abyss of socialist class-warfare and Euroism. If one were to side with Romney in his attack on Gingrich, while this argument points out how one, as a Washington insider gets to support themselves, it is none of anyone's business what one gets paid for consulting services as long as these arrangements are legal.

What is much more important as a takeaway from Romney's query, however, is with all of the Government resources (read, TAXPAYER) laid at the doorsteps of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, why were the executives who ran Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae able to walk-away while making bonuses in the millions of dollars as these organizations took the worldwide economy into the massive junk-mortgage tailspin of a property value downgrade we find ourselves now? Four words (two hyphenated phrases): Ruling-Class Slush-Fund!

Next debate from Sioux City Convention Center in Sioux City, Iowa, to be aired on FOXNews, Thursday, December 15, 9:00pm ET ... the gloves will be thrown to the ice and it might be time for the more recognized Conservatives as seen in Rick Santorum or Michelle Bachmann to rise above the fray in the ugly, ankle-biting "Newt Romney" back-and-forth, Iowa Caucuses.

<article first published as Mitt - Gingrich Out Demonize Each Other In Obama Style Class Warfare Attacks on Technorati>

ABC News Republican Debate At Drake University - Tweet-By-Tweet

2011-12-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

Sheslow Auditorium at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, is decked out with digital screens, high-tech video and sound equipment, and fancy lighting for the nationally televised Republican presidential debate. Students stand in for Diane Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos and six GOP presidential candidates during a rehearsal for the Dec. 10 debate sponsored by ABC News, Yahoo, The Des Moines Register and the Republican Party of Iowa. The debate aired live from 8-10 p.m. Central Time on ABC networks nationwide. Image Credit: Drake University via Flickr

ABC News Republican Debate At Drake University - Tweet-By-Tweet

Diane Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos, and YAHOO question six of the seven remaining GOP candidates Santorum, Perry, Romney, Gingrich, Paul, and Bachmann. Noticeably, maybe not so noticeably, absent is Huntsman.

The following log was created through following 140 character responses to the action of the debate on Twitter. Hence, this is the debate as seen Tweet-By-Tweet.

Gingrich gets to respond first on a query by Diane Sawyer as to what makes him uniquely qualified (distinguishing idea) to run for President ... followed by Mitt Romney, and Ron Paul.

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Romney plans to kill Rick Perry w/ his eyes tonight.

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
I get so excited when Perry talks flat tax.

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
Good start for Perry.

amandacarpenter Amanda Carpenter
Yes. Perry nails Fed for their $7T secret program. Would have liked to see him spell it out a bit more tho

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Rick Perry uses 3rd person. Drink!

prismsinc Ric
Rick Perry reminds us of one of those evil geniuses in a sci-fi movie LOL #ABCdebate #GOP #tcot #teaparty

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
You stole it from Charlie Sheen, didn't youRT @daveweigel: Bachmann is plagiarizing my #winning #winning #winning plan.

prismsinc Ric
Watch these moderators use their snubbing of Trump against them. Watch ... #ABCdebate #GOP #tcot

Flap Gregory Flap Cole
Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann look better tonight. Ron Paul's jacket is too big again #IOWADebate

prismsinc Ric
BAMO! @RickSantorum hits Obama 1st #ABCdebate #tcot #GOP

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Or ask Obama that question. RT @TPCarney: Sawyer should ask them to pinpoint the gas price.

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
Very good response from Santorum on the idea of predicting job creation

ericfido Eric Bearse
first petri dish mention

LarrySabato Larry Sabato
Mitt thrilled that teacher Diane has saluted his answer. Headed for an A.

RichLowry Rich Lowry
when santorum isnt complaining or bragging in these debates, he's usually quite strong

ToadonaWire L
Santorum realizes Government doesn't create jobs! I like that.

DonIrvine DonIrvine
Right on. Payroll Tax cut is just a temporary gimmick by Obama.

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @sethamandel: There will be fewer questions tonight in light of the time it takes for Sawyer spit out a complete sentence.

TPM Talking Points Memo
Bachmann: We have candidates here on stage who are standing with Obama on the payroll tax cut tpm.ly/oYzwjR

instapundit instapundit.com
STEPHEN GREEN IS Drunkblogging The Iowa Debate….: STEPHEN GREEN IS Drunkblogging The Iowa Debate. bit.ly/vWt4Rv

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
Romney is so orange.

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Bachmann actually gives a solid "anti-payroll tax cut" answer. But she'd never raise taxes. #Confused

FLPolPress FL Political Press
@ToadonaWire Perry gets nervous when Perry speaks!

mmurraypolitics Mark Murray
So far, Romney is taking all of his swings at Obama, though the questioning hasn't allowed for any engagement with Newt, others

ToadonaWire L
Newt chuckles at Mitt's dumb joke!

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Romney: "Certain individuals raise the entire economy". So... which of *his* sons is named "Rand"

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @sethamandel: Santorum forcing smiles. Awkward, but a step in the right direction for his demeanor. #iowadebate

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
RT @moelane: Mitt... I've seen your poll ceiling. You don't really have any room to talk about popularity.

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
Great answer from Newt. "the only reason you're not a career politician is because you lost [to Ted Kennedy]."

TPM Talking Points Memo
Newt: "It's a bit much" on Romney's claim saying he isn't a "career politician" tpm.ly/oYzwjR

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
Wow -- Newt hits Mitt hard on the "career politician" attack. Audible reaction here in the filing room.

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
RT @toddstarnes: Gingrich just mussed up Mitt's hair. #iowadebate

jonkarl Jonathan Karl
Should the payroll tax cut be extended? Republicans split 3 - 3. Bachmann, Santorum, Perry opposed. Romney, Newt and Paul in favor.

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Newt's "Lets put poor kids to work" theory just seems off putting.

EconomicMayhem Blame Government
RT @JeedBe: RT @donnabrazile: Following the #iowadebate. The candidates are discussing job creation. Weird they ... m.tmi.me/jdH0x

prismsinc Ric
NEWT ON FIRE! Look at pretty boy Romney's mad look! Hahaha! #ABCdebate #GOP

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @sethamandel: Gingrich's response: You've messed with the bull. Please enjoy these here horns. #iowadebate

TPM Talking Points Memo
Paul hitting Gingrich on his stint as a "historian" for Freddie Mac tpm.ly/oYzwjR

Flap Gregory Flap Cole
If Romney loses another exchange with Gingrich as bad, Mitt may end up behind Ron Paul in the polls #tcot

MelindaDC Melinda Henneberger
Mitt just gave up on 'career politician' rap against Newt by admitting that yeah, he woulda been one, too, hd he beaten Ted Kennedy in '94.

LarrySabato Larry Sabato
SO MUCH FOR NEWT STAYING POSITIVE! His above-the-fray stance lasted 20 minutes.

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @alanagoodman: Did.the audience just clap or break out into laughter over Gingrich's comments? #iowadebate

ToadonaWire L
My 11 yr old son just said "I like that old guy" -Ron Paul. I have a libertarian in the house. #abcdebate

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
Obviously. RT @whitneypitcher: Bachmann's been a businesswoman since she was 5?!?

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
RT @AlexPappasDC: Bachmann hits "Newt-Romney"

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
Knute Rockney?

politicalmath PoliticalMath
RT @daveweigel: Newt-Romney really rolls off the tongue #iowadebate

JennyErikson Jenny Erikson
RT @TXTrendyChick: Bachmann's strategy: distance herself from Obama and make Newt & Romney one entity #IowaDebate

SethAMandel Seth Mandel
Big diff between Dem and GOP debates. GOPers compete over "most conservative." Dems rarely admit "I'm the liberal here!"

michaelscherer michaelscherer
Totally agree. Most stunning thing. RT @benpolitico: The learning curve in these debates has been amazing. They're all pretty formidable.

ToadonaWire L
I like Bachmann way more than Newt.

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @sethamandel: "Newt Romney" is going to help Bachmann exactly as much as "Obamneycare" helped Pawlenty. #iowadebate

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
Did Perry take a nap after his first answer? I mean. It was a good one.

TPM Talking Points Memo
Perry: "I'm stunned, Michele hit the nail on the head when it comes to the individual mandate." tpm.ly/oYzwjR

EconomicMayhem Blame Government
RT @usernamenuse: RT @2012_GOP: Newt #Gingrich: endorsed an individual healthcare mandate as recently as May of ... m.tmi.me/jdHZe

TPM Talking Points Memo
Perry, Bachmann, Paul, all piling on Mitt and Newt tpm.ly/oYzwjR

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
Bachmann did a pretty good job going on the attack, Perry walking through the door she opened up. Romney & Gingrich on defensive.

NathanWurtzel Nathan Wurtzel
The trouble with MA plan as 10th Amendment example is federal money is involved. Not just contained within state.

JennyErikson Jenny Erikson
"The fact of the matter is you're for individual mandates."-Perry to Mitt

amandacarpenter Amanda Carpenter
Smart. Perry follows Bachmann and starts lumping Mitt and Newt together on the individual mandate.

strongthought Carolyn
RT @Leo_Pusateri: Personally, I'm really looking forward to the primaries, so we can begin making (cont) tl.gd/elg1ar

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
Back to the Gardasil government needle, Mitt? Yecch.

JennyErikson Jenny Erikson
RT @hughhewitt: Romney wins the Perry-Romney exchange and shows how, if he is the nominee, he will tackle the Axelrod line of attack

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @sethamandel: Romney is coming apart at the seams. #iowadebate

hollybdc Holly Bailey
Romney buys his golf clubs at K-Mart but he tries to make a $10k bet with Rick Perry. Hmm. #iowadebate

current Current TV
Mitt Romney wants to make a $10,000 bet on national TV. Is that legal? #politicallydirect

politicalmath PoliticalMath
In terms of prep, Romney makes everyone else look like an amateur.

GingerGibson Ginger Gibson
Santorum on Bachmann, "She's been fighting and losing. I fought and won."

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
RT @bdomenech: RT @lheal: Perry should have said "Sure, Mitt. I'll bet you Iowa." #abcdebate

EconomicMayhem Blame Government
Paul doesn't have any faults to explain. RT @mattklewis: Newt and Romney are both very good at explaining their faults.

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
Remember when you endorsed Arlen Specter and LOST, Santorum?

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @tobincommentary: Romney cornered by Perry offers him a $10K bet that he isn't right about his book. Not his finest moment. #IowaDebate.

nansen Nansen Malin
This is a good debate because the moderators aren't talking. #iowadebate

prismsinc Ric
LOL RT @Dana_Marie215: Oh, ABC, you're liberal with more things than time. #Iowadebate

Flap Gregory Flap Cole
As a LDS Mormon, I though Romney would be opposed to gambling - so what is up with the 10K bet remark? #Mittlookingbadtonight

bethanyshondark Bethany Mandel
Funny how those who are polling in the single digits (Bachmann & Santorum) only speak about themselves. "I did this..." #IowaDebate

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
Stick to the rules, because we can't have you all DEBATING EACH OTHER! What were you guys thinking?

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
RT @Atlasshrugs: oy, Diane Sawyer ....get over yourself

TobinCommentary Jonathan S. Tobin
Santorum reminds Newt that not all conservatives backed the individual mandate in 1994. True. #IowaDebate.

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
"we fought and we figured out a way to win". Rick Santorum

BREAK

DonIrvine DonIrvine
Commerical time. Time to get mom ready for bed.

politicalmath PoliticalMath
I need a huge drink. Maybe cyanide.

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Tonight's big winner so far: Huntsman. #NotShowingUpIsHalfTheBattle

bspward B SP Ward
I wonder which of these GOP candidates will be doing ads for reverse mortgages in 4 years? #GOPDebate

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
Beats a booth review. RT @guypbenson: ABC already playing "highlights" of this debate? What?

EconomicMayhem Blame Government
Republicans and Democrats putting up commercials in favor of internet censorship j.mp/tS2n86 #tcot

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
Possible General Election slogan: "Newt-Romney All-American: Win one for The Gipper."

TPM Talking Points Memo
Perry: If you would cheat on your wife, then you'd cheat on your business partner, or anybody tpm.ly/oYzwjR

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
Cutting to Newt is cheap, cheap tv during this segment

TobinCommentary Jonathan S. Tobin
Bachmann and Santorum looking feisty. Gingrich looking confident. Romney holding on by his fingernails. #IowaDebate.

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
Perry handled that well, actually.

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
"I would not say it's a disqualifier." - Santorum on marital fidelity

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
I like Santorum's answer, which allows for redemption.

politicalmath PoliticalMath
RT @BlameTelford: Rick Perry has been in fidelity with his spouse. He speaks english real good. #IowaDebate

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
I'm squirming FOR Newt right now.

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @tobincommentary: Camera pans to Newt who is working hard not to change his expression. #IowaDebate.

Flap Gregory Flap Cole
Holier than thou discussion on marriage fidelity will swing independents to Obama - be careful here GOP

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
I like Newt's line about American's "loaning" the presidency.

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
RT @rickklein: Gingrich: faith is a "real issue." "People have to render judgment." #iowadebate

Steele_Michael Michael Steele
Kudos to Bachmann, Perry, Romney, Paul and Santorum for keeping their answer on marital fidelity out of the gutter. Nice touch by Newt.

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @sethamandel: Only at a GOP debate. You could never ask the party of Clinton, JFK, and FDR about marriage fidelity. #iowadebate

DonIrvine DonIrvine
Immigration time! #Iowadebate #abcdebate

JennyErikson Jenny Erikson
"Half marathoners on the right!"-Diane Sawyer #insidejoke

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Sawyer: "Of course you want to secure the borders, so shut up."

politicalmath PoliticalMath
RT @greggutfeld: would diane sawyer say to Obama, "we get it, enough with 'fair share?'"

current Current TV
What do you think about the questions being asked? What questions do YOU want answered? #politicallydirect

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
Diane Sawyer trying to skip over the most important distinction between GOP and Obama. Nice for Obama

BestPhotosEver -
"So many people talk about immigration at their dinner tables." -@dianesawyer Right Diane, thats the topic at dinner. #sarcasm #iowadebate

JennyErikson Jenny Erikson
How about this? DEPORT THE ILLEGALS THAT COMMIT CRIMES. #IowaDebate

JennyErikson Jenny Erikson
Hahahaha-> RT @djcronin: @JennyErikson How about this? LET THEM ALL IN, WE NEED TO WIN THE WORLD CUP AND GET SEXIER.

ToadonaWire L
“@toddstarnes: What's wrong with Miss Sawyer's eye?”/Botox injection gone bad?

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
Romney's answer on immigration makes enormous sense re incentives

JennyErikson Jenny Erikson
RT @MonicaCrowley: Diane Sawyer calls them "undocumented," not "illegal immigrants." #LibPC

DonIrvine DonIrvine
Gingrich loses the immigration debate. #Iowadebate #abcdebate

TobinCommentary Jonathan S. Tobin
Romney swings hard to the right on immigration. He has to wonder why conservatives haven't made Gingrich pay for his plan. #IowaDebate.

EconomicMayhem Blame Government
RT @NewWorldRadical: Dear #TeaParty, Why don't you see #RonPaul is everything you've been fighting for. Wake up!

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
Watching Perry debate is like rooting for the Skins: You know they won't dominate; you just hope they keep it close & kick a late field goal

prismsinc Ric
Would you have a special exception for an illegal immigrant that commits an act of heroism in your immigration plan? #IowaDebate

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
Perry did a pretty good job on the immigration question. Next Q: Are Palestinians an invented people? Er ... topic, please?

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @tobincommentary: Ron Paul responds first reminding us why he's no friend to Israel. #IowaDebate.

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
Gingrich hitting his stride now. 1st time tonight he's been aggressive.

TPM Talking Points Memo
Big applause line from Newt: "Time for somebody to stand up and say: Enough lying about the Middle East." tpm.ly/oYzwjR

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
Romney winning this argument with Gingrich on allowing Israel to speak for itself

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @jpodhoretz: The book that makes the argument Newt is talking about is "From Time Immemorial" by Joan Peters. #IowaDebate

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
Mitt: Sobriety, care, stability. I am not a bomb thrower...wow

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
"Bibi" Netanyahu's a good friend of mine. You're no "Bibi" Netanyahu...

deadvoter deadvoter
Bachmann's not getting much opportunity to talk

justin_hart Justin Hart
The Romney / Newt exchange on Gingrich's comments abt Palestine was compelling on both sides. #iowadebate

BluegrassPundit Howard Notelling
Majority in my unscientific debate poll say Newt. Romney is 2nd choice.

DonIrvine DonIrvine
Why is Steffy asking #TeamBachmann who got the better of the Gingrich-Romney argument? Dumb question. #Iowadebate

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @tobincommentary: Gingrich says its time for America to have the courage to tell the truth about the Palestinians. #IowaDebate.

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
Santorum is going to surprise in Iowa.

TheRickWilson Rick Wilson
Yep RT @jmartpolitico: Yeah, the "evil empire" comeback is gonna break the focus group button

JimMerrillNH Jim Merrill
Speaker Gingrich compares his incendiary words on Palestinians to President Reagan telling Gorbachev to 'tear down this wall'. Simply, no

nansen Nansen Malin
Perry pulls a Newt - attacking the media for asking dumb questions #iowadebate

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
Leading from the "rear"?

kerpen Phil Kerpen
New Perry strategy is the old Gingrich strategy; criticize the question and pivot to attack Obama!

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
RT @ianessling: Perry: "This president is the problem, NOT something Newt Gingrich said." #iowadebate #tcot

BREAK - Then YAHOO Questions!

MajoratNJ Major Garrett
Santorum dissection of difference between Israeli-Palestinian situation and Soviet gulag prisoners nuanced, smart. #iowadebate

politicalmath PoliticalMath
RT @jstrevino: Sure, ABC, the president of the Center for American Progress is a totally appropriate debate analyst.

TPM Talking Points Memo
Video of Romney offering Perry a $10,000 bet. WATCH: tpm.ly/ulNUP5

prismsinc Ric
Next question by the moderators: isn't it true that poverty is always the fault of the #GOP ??? #IowaDebate #fail

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
This is a great question for Perry, who grew up in poverty.

nansen Nansen Malin
With this question - the drinking games are in full swing!

Flap Gregory Flap Cole
Sorry but Rick Perry just fades during the middle of his anwers and is painful to watch...

TPM Talking Points Memo
Romney: "I didn't grow up poor." [but I grew up with a dad who grew up poor and he imparted values - we had jobs]

amandacarpenter Amanda Carpenter
MT @MonicaCrowley: Question is all about, "tell us how rich you are & therefore how you can't relate to the average person."

MelissaTweets Melissa Clouthier
RT @BlameTelford: I bet you $10,000 that Romney didn't grow up poor.

HeresAnotherTip Uncle Mike
What is sad, that their are 2 liberals posing questions to the candidates to beat obama

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @tobincommentary: Romney: I didn't grow up but my dad did. Does that count? #IowaDebate.

DonIrvine DonIrvine
I do think that this question is meant to try and portray the GOP as being out of touch with the less fortunate, #Iowadebate #abcdebate.

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
Good manipulation of question by Santorum to bring up social conservativism.

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
Moms are doing heroic work trying to hold things together--Another Santorum answer that will connect with some caucus goers

ElianaBenador ✡ Eliana Benador ✡
#RickSantorum is right on target on the #marriage institution with #Mother and #Father, not Partner one and Partner two as this Adm has done

TPM Talking Points Memo
Bachmann: "We're still coupon clippers today." tpm.ly/oYzwjR

howardfineman Howard Fineman
Newt grew up above a gas station, but now shops at Tiffany's.... the American Dream

DonIrvine DonIrvine
Give me your poor, your tires, your biased mainstream media. #Iowadebate #abcdebate

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Mitt: "States can do whatever the heck they want to do." Finally.

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
It's official. ABC has begun recycling questions from earlier in the debate. Time to go home now?

philipaklein Philip Klein
@KatiePavlich Huntsman wasn't polling well enuf in iowa to be included

JennyErikson Jenny Erikson
MITT! We are learning from Romneycare that mandated health care doesn't work. #AdmitItDude

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Gingrich to Mitt: "You make me want to throw up" yfrog.com/kfpf2p

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
What the hell? Diane Sawyer is asking questions based on her single visit to a pharmacist?

Politisite Politisite
Ahead of a #trumpdebate we are going on record to NOT cover a realityTV debate - #iowadebate

KatiePavlich Katie Pavlich
Diane Sawyer: I went into the land of peasants and visited a pharmacy #patsselfonback

Bret_Baier Bret Baier
Ron Paul is more than just formidable in iowa - he's a contender RT @BourbonDemocrat @Bret_Baier Ron Paul is gainin... tl.gd/elgsv0

drginaloudon Gina Gentry Loudon
I will bet $10,000 that if Ron Paul would fix his eyebrow, his polling would go up. #PaulBrow

current Current TV
Diane Sawyer asks softball about what to do about obesity. Or is it the usual challenge to Paul's libertarianism? #politicallydirect

TobinCommentary Jonathan S. Tobin
Paul: All government power is the use of force. Gets to the heart of libertarian ideology. #IowaDebate.

BREAK

ToadonaWire L
“@StarlaMBrown: @angelamcglowan I miss Herman Cain”/ his absence is very noticeable

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
Best debate by far, and it is because no bogus time limits and two candidates less allowing for better pacw

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
My take: Newt "wins" by surviving as the frontrunner. Mitt does well (as always). Bachmann has very strong night--which may hurt Newt.

Flap Gregory Flap Cole
So far in this debate, nothing has changed. Newt unhurt and no big gains by Romney or any of the others. Bachmann and Perry better though

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
Newt lived in an apartment over a gas station; Reagan grew up in an apartment above a store. (Modern day "log cabin"?)

hughhewitt Hugh Hewitt
Nixon wouldn't debate in '72, and I wouldn't be shocked to see Obama dodge Romney or Gingrich or limit to one rather than 3.

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
I'll take that over the here's-the-pinata questions RT @LarryColson: oh no, the "say something nice about each other" moment

mattklewis Matt K. Lewis
Santorum seems more likeable tonight than normal.

deadvoter deadvoter
Diane Sawyer asks the Rodney King question

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @bethanyshondark: Santorum just called Newt old. #IowaDebate

ToadonaWire L
Perry is smart to mention @SteveKingIA He's a great conservative. #gopdebate

Commentary Commentary Magazine
RT @tobincommentary: Perry says Ron Paul got him interested in the Federal Reserve. Scary thought. #IowaDebate.

TPM Talking Points Memo
Newt giving gold stars to Perry and Santorum.

AlexPappasDC Alex Pappas
How much is Ron Paul loving that Rick Perry said he got him to read about the federal reserve?

JonGarthwaite Townhall - HotAir
I found another good use for my TIVO. Political debates. Skip commercials AND questions. Watch the answers and try to guess the question.

current Current TV
Bachmann really wants Herman Cain supporters. She's referenced him a few times. #politicallydirect

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Quick! Someone tell Bachmann's prep team that Cain isn't in the race anymore. #NeinNeinNein

pinkelephantpun Tabitha Hale
Ron Paul: I am awesome. RT @KatiePavlich: candidates to each other, "no you're awesome, no you're awesome, no YOU are awesome"

prismsinc Ric
Michele Bachmann just had her best moment ... #IowaDebate

Debate Ends

politicalmath PoliticalMath
RT @fivethirtyeight: My debate grades. Pretty high all around. Bachmann A, Perry A-, Gingrich A-, Santorum B+, Paul B, Romney B-

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
My quick take: Perry, Santorum helped themselves significantly. Newt & Bachmann held position with good performances. Paul same as ever ...

Flap Gregory Flap Cole
Winner by default is Newt. Loser is Romney. Santorum and Perry are better. Bachmann = sideways along with Paul

marisanicole87 Marisa Papsin
My opinion is that Ron Paul not only won this Iowa GOP Debate but he may have just won over a lot of new voters. #iowadebate

TobinCommentary Jonathan S. Tobin
Biggest winner: Gingrich. Loser: Romney. His $10k bet will haunt him even if he was right about Perry misquoting him. #IowaDebate.

politicallogic Joel Palmer
RT @benshapiro: Perry really making a comeback in this debate.

JennyErikson Jenny Erikson
Ok. I have to say that I'm totally excited to go to the Iowa Caucus after this debate.

politicalmath PoliticalMath
Expect Romney to know every bad thing Newt has ever done by the next debate.

EdMorrissey EdMorrissey
... Romney blew that early attack on Newt and made a big blunder with the $10,000 bet challenge. Weird.

<Article first published as ABC News Republican Debate At Drake University - Tweet-By-Tweet on Technorati>

USC Trojan Fan Tries To Explain NCAA Sanctions to UCLA Bruin Fan

2011-12-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

USC Trojan Fan Tries To Explain NCAA Sanctions to UCLA Bruin Fan

The USC Trojan football program in 2011 was limited to playing only the games that were scheduled within the first year of play within the PAC12 conference by the NCAA.

In this YouTube video conversation, that takes place after the USC - UCLA game, where USC Trojans drubbed the UCLA Bruins FIFTY points to ZERO points (50-0) to decide who would have the best record of competition within the Southern Section of the PAC12, a Trojan fan attempts to explain that USC, as a school program, did not cheat ... but were sanctioned by the NCAA for not being aware of a rules infraction perpetrated by an individual, Reggie Bush, whose college career ended in 2005.

Under the ruling by the NCAA, USC could not participate in any post season play in any Bowl games for two years (2010, 2011). If USC could participate, because it beat UCLA 50 to 0 in the PAC12 Southern Section play off, USC would have had to play against the PAC12 Northern Section winner, Oregon, who the Trojans had beat earlier in the season.

UCLA Bruins were able to score points (as opposed to not scoring any points as with USC) against Oregon in the playoff game ... but lost to Oregon, Dec 2, 2011 at Oregon, 31-49 ... and the game wasn't as close as the score suggests. By winning against UCLA's "gutty little Bruins", Oregon will represent the PAC12 against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Rose Bowl. So, the gutty little Bruins of UCLA, with its 6 win and 7 loss record, will be allowed to play in a post season bowl game (they will meet Illinois in the KRAFT Fight Hunger Bowl) as per the NCAA. This post season Bowl game is scheduled to be played in San Francisco on Sunday, December 31, 2011. It features a matchup between a team with a losing record (UCLA) against one entering the bowl game on a six-game losing streak (Illinois).

AP Top 25

Sun Dec 4, 2011

1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma St.
4. Stanford
5. USC
6. Oregon
7. Arkansas
8. Boise St.
9. Wisconsin
10. South Carolina

How did the UCLA Bruins get their nickname - the "gutty little Bruins"?

When the late Tommy Prothro coached football at UCLA, some of his over-achieving teams were known as "the gutty little Bruins." That designation was originated by Dean Cromwell, USC's track and field coach during the 1940s. When asked once about his next opponent, Cromwell, whose teams never lost to UCLA, said, "Oh, we're going to meet [former UCLA coach] Ducky Drake's gutty little Bruins." Since then, all UCLA sports teams have picked up the tag "gutty little Bruins."

So, the gutty little Bruins, with their gutty little 2011 6 win and 7 loss season football record, gets to play in a post-season Bowl game which is generally awarded to teams with a ... wait for it ... winning record! This re-defines the depths of the word "GUTTY".

Fight On!

Occupy LA Hits The Snooze Button

2011-11-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles City Hall where for seven weeks now, a bunch of imported professional agitators set up shop on the 1.5 acre South lawn park in downtown LA. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2011)

Occupy LA Hits The Snooze Button

All citizens of Los Angeles want to do is wake up, go to work, have fun, and live their lives with definition ... the definition they choose to have for their lives. For seven weeks now, a bunch of imported professional agitators set up shop on the 1.5 acre South lawn park at City Hall, in the name of the Occupy Wall Street Movement. All they have been able to accomplish is attract a bunch of homeless, out of work students, and some media attention to the fact that .... and is the only consistent point ... they are there to "Occupy". All other potential political points to be made are subservient to the concept To Occupy.

Civilized cities call what these people have been doing in terms of "Occupy" is to trespass.

Today, this morning, we citizens of Los Angeles have been treated to wall-to-wall television coverage of the Los Angeles Police attempting to restore some order to this trespassing hoard. The Occupy crowd was prepared for a confrontation of eviction because, after seven weeks, the Mayor decided that trespassing will finally not be tolerated on the South lawn park area of the Los Angeles City Hall. With a 72 hour notice that the laws would be enforced at 12:01am PT Monday morning, all the people the Occupy Movement could muster, what with the imported protesters from San Diego, Oakland, and other cities was an estimated 700 to 1,200 people on the South Lawn.

The crowd, wanting to create more tension, spilled on to the street surrounding City Hall, and for about six hours, the Los Angeles Police Department packed the area with personnel dressed in "tactical response gear" (the Occupy Movement wanted the media gathered to report "riot gear"). The LAPD, after broadcasting via bullhorn that the streets will be cleared at 5:00am PT, started to move people off of the streets. Some shouting ensued, objects were thrown (a couple of bamboo poles/spears and bottles), and about five people were arrested and removed from the scene.

One of the news reporters stated that this Occupy LA encampment represented the largest gathering of Occupy protesters in the nation. So wrapped up was this reporter at romancing this event, she stated erroneously that this started seven weeks ago and had grown into this major protest. If this were the Tea Party, and folks were given 72 hours to gather at a specific park, there would be far more than an estimated 700 to 1,200 people standing around. In fact with a seven week notice from Glenn Beck, the Tea Party folks were able to amass over 750,000 people on the Mall in Washington D.C. prior to the 2010 elections.

The television coverage, after about an hour of dedicated Occupy coverage, with helicopter shots and on the street interviews, has resumed to its normal morning news coffee talk. The weather here is Santa Ana wind beautiful and the temperature is expected to hit the low 80's.

As for the LAPD, they seem to have employed a strategy of "show up and wait" with intent of wearing out the cell phone batteries of the Occupy LA protester's iPhones and boring them to death with the intensity of presence.

Time to hit the snooze button.

<article first appeared as Occupy LA Hits The Snooze Button at Technorati>

Post CNN Debate: The Trouble With Gingrich/Romney And Conservative Reality

2011-11-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

Republican presidential candidates from left, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, Texas Congress man Ron Paul, Texas Governor Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and former Utah Governor/former U.S. Diplomat under two presidents Jon Huntsman before the CNN AEI, Heritage Foundation debate on foreign policy. Image Credit: The Heritage Foundation

Post CNN Debate: The Trouble With Gingrich/Romney And Conservative Reality

Just as in the process of panning for Gold, debates help to have the heavy metal collect at the bottom of the pan. The 11th debate between GOP candidates for president of the United States sponsored by CNN and two of the most recognized conservative policy institutions, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and The Heritage Foundation, helped to have the heavy Conservative metal show itself at the bottom of the pan and, on immigration, Newt's (and by comparison - Mitt's) metal began to pour out of the pan.

Newt Gingrich is pithy and well tested in the public arena. He generally gives great answers to many of the problems a (as polls show time and again) politically Center-Right citizen populous confronts in a Big Government world. However, when one begins to peel away the layers of a Gingrich onion, one finds a person who has made his career on governing from a "Ruling Class" and liberal position that government can and should effect people's lives over the Rule-Of-Law, the Bill Of Rights, and the Constitution.

Let us take a simple comparison between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney on the issue of a health care system based on a government mandate. Mitt Romney has trouble with Conservatives as being "Ruling Class" and liberal because he implemented "Romney Care" in Massachusetts that many say the Democrats based the national "Obama Care" mandated health care law on. It was only a few months ago that Newt Gingrich was comfortable with a national mandate for health care but Mitt Romney has always come down on the side of a States solution to health care and that a government mandate for a health care system had no place in this country. On this point, Newt was for a large federal government solution, Mitt felt that any health care solution applied to a populous, should come exclusively at the state government level - this is a more Conservative position, not great ... but more Conservative.

Last night, Newt Gingrich articulated a position on immigration that may completely knock him out of the top tier of candidates for a Republican President of the United States, and rightfully so.

This excerpted and edited from Fox News -

Gingrich on Top of GOP Polls, Takes Big Risk Articulating Illegal Immigration Policy
Published November 23, 2011 | FoxNews.com

The Republican presidential hopeful, who has sprung to the top of the polling charts in the past two weeks, warned against a policy that proposes deporting illegals who have been in the country for 25 years. Gingrich said he would not "expel" those who have come to the United States illegally if it happened decades ago.

And in an appeal to family values, he said long-residing illegal aliens shouldn't become citizens, but neither should they be torn apart from their families.

"I don't see how the party that says it's the party of family is going to adopt an immigration policy which destroys families which have been here a quarter century and I'm prepared to take the heat for saying let's be humane in enforcing the law," he said.
[Reference Here]

Okay, so let's say anyone of us legal citizens did not pay their taxes for 25 years, but we were good citizens and good neighbors ... would the IRS just ignore the tax laws and not prosecute us and throw us in jail?

We were guilty of breaking the law for 25 years and now we have to pay the penalty ... would our family be able to join us in jail?

No, but those people who have been breaking the immigration law for 25 years, with nice families, been good neighbors, and good citizens can have their families join them when they leave the country if the current immigration laws were enforced.

In a 2007 Meet the Press interview, Mitt Romney outlined his views on illegal immigration and states the 12 million, or so, illegal immigrants should be granted citizenship (which allows for voting). During last night's debate, Newt Gingrich, on the other hand, only advocated for legality through amnesty, not citizenship ... a more Conservative position.

Without parsing, the "Gold Standard" for Center-Right voters has been, and will always be, the Rule-Of-Law, the Bill Of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States. Sadly, both Mitt Romney (with his lead in the polls, experience in business, and government leadership) and Newt Gingrich (with all of his smarts, historical Speaker of the House accomplishment/perspective, and articulatory gifts) are not members ... on immigration ... of the Gold Standard and should be slipping from the pan.

Up next: The CNN Debate from Arizona, sponsored by the Republican Party of Arizona - November 30, 2011.

<First published as Post CNN Debate: The Trouble With Gingrich/Romney And Conservative Reality at Technorati>

“The [CBS/National Journal] Commander-In-Chief Debate” From South Carolina

2011-11-13T05:43:00.000-08:00

Image Credit: CBS News via Politisite

“The [CBS/National Journal] Commander-In-Chief Debate” From South Carolina

With the focus on National Security and Foreign policy, CBS News and National Journal partners with the South Carolina GOP to present the first Republican Presidential Primary debate on broadcast television.

The debate, the second in the last four days, is scheduled to be broadcast live for one hour only [given the local schedule] starting at 8:00 pm ET and is to be broadcast on all CBS stations nationally.

“The South Carolina Republican Party is excited to be a partner on the first nationally televised, broadcast network debate of the Presidential Primary season,” said Chad Connelly, Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. “Presidential candidates and Republican activists across our nation know South Carolina’s historic tradition of successfully choosing the Republican nominee, a tradition uninterrupted for over thirty years. We look forward to the debate on Wofford College’s beautiful campus and continuing to demonstrate that in South Carolina, ‘We Pick Presidents.’”

The expectation is that these topics of National Security and Foreign Policy should play to the benefit of former Utah Governor, John Huntsman (also, former ambassador to China for the Obama Administration, he also served as ambassador to Singapore under George H.W. Bush and as a Deputy Trade Representative under George W. Bush.), Former leader of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, and Former Senator, Rick Santorum. The rest of the field, it is assumed, will be coming in with a crash course understanding of the issues and there lays the entertainment ... and the challenge of moderators, Scott Pelley (anchor and managing editor of the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH SCOTT PELLEY) and Major Garrett (former Fox News standout and current congressional correspondent for National Journal).

A short but possibly sweet debate #10 for the Republican field of presidential/Commander-In-Chief hopefuls.

In order for all to see the debate in total, we were instructed by Scott Pelley to see the last 30 minutes of the 90 minute debate by going to one's computer and log on to CBS.com.

The biggest contention with this format and debate is the adherence to time. Of course, Rick Santorum has trouble with this right away because he gets bogged down in the tall grass with describing policy.

Huntsman's first answer is short and probably the most popular. He looks to isolation and extraction from current involvement save some small force for intelligence and training the government forces of the country we are leaving.

Gingrich hits the problem on the head recognizing this problem is much larger and complex than the way we are addressing it. Then Gingrich goes on to make the case for defending Christians throughout the world from Muslim persecution.

Perry turns the focus back to Foreign Aid and spending as the first issue that informs our foreign policy.

Bachmann on Pakistan - A difficult area and harbors terrorism. They have Nuclear weapon and worldwide connections are aligned against Israel ... we need to stand with Israel.

Gingrich agrees with the Perry approach starting with Foreign Aid at zero every year and have countries that we currently support argue for its maintenance.

Santorum on the Nukes - Pakistan must be handled as a friend because they have the bomb. It is important to keep a solid and stable relationship. Money on foreign aid is spent here in this country first on the manufacture of weapons before they are used to secure our relationships.

BREAK

Gingrich stiff arms Major Garrett on a question relating to how he characterized Romney [as a good manager] on a national radio show - Laura Ingraham | 9:00am to 12:00pm ET - by shaking his head NO! "We are here to replace Barack Obama" as president and we all would be better than the current president.

Parry makes a pitch as being a decision maker [over others hopefuls] as Commander-In-Chief.

Bachmann - Obama has the ACLU managing the activities of the CIA.

Paul - Water boarding is torture. Torture is uncivilized.

Huntsman - Recites his resume then comes down on the side that water boarding as torture.

Pelley then asks Romney about Obama's killing of an American born terrorist in Yeman by an unmanned missile ... Was Obama correct in this act?

Pelley begins to argue with the people taking part in the debate about the Rule-Of-Law. Gingrich fires back that individual people who are creating war with America are defined by a panel as "Enemy Combatants" and therefore not subject to America's Rule-Of-Law (to uproarious crowd applause in agreement with Newt's point of order).

Major Garrett gains control of the direction of the debate by asking Foreign Trade questions of Romney and Perry.

Pelley allows himself a follow up question with Romney on Foreign Trade ... taking precious time away from other respondents.

Huntsman - We do not need a trade war with China. We need to engage the younger, internet connected generations in China on issues of trade for them to have an effect on the Ruling Class ... Author comment - this does not make sense.

BREAK

A Twitter question asks of Gov. Perry if Israel would start at zero in foreign aid? Perry said YES and that this should be applied to the budgets of all of the Federal Departments he had trouble naming in an earlier debate.

BREAK - most people throughout the nation either miss this part of the debate or they tune in to CBS.com on their computers.

In Palm Springs, the affiliate cut away for local news and so the internet came into play.

There was a problem with the transmission and it seems that the internet connection did not have enough bandwidth to handle the demand – choppy video and consequently, choppy audio. Further investigation found that this bandwidth problem was actually with the main server contracted for use by CBS ... REALLY?!

CBS is a bush-league outfit to schedule a Republican presidential debate, title it “The Commander-In-Chief Debate”, and broadcast only a portion of the debate on a national basis, then provide inadequate internet service to carry the balance of the debate.

Hey CBS, why sponsor and hold a debate if you are not serious enough to carry the whole debate?

If this were a Democrat Political Party debate with eight contenders, would you have only enough television broadcast time slot bandwidth to carry a percentage of the whole debate and after debate spin?

Why on Earth would the South Carolina GOP [and the NRCC] agree to such a half-handed set-up … is this the best they could negotiate?

How weak.

WOW!

Baylor University's Sponsored Illegal Immigrant Activism ... Sparks Response

2011-11-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

Baylor University school of Law has 89.8% of graduates get job offers upon graduation. Image Credit: law-school.findthebest.com

Baylor University's Sponsored Illegal Immigrant Activism ... Sparks Response

Hispanic leaders in Texas are joining a student’s fight against a political culture they say seeks to pigeon-hole minorities as reliably liberal. Daniel Cervera, a senior at Baylor University, filed legislation at his school’s student government in response to what he describes as selective enforcement of university policy. “The school essentially sponsored a speaking platform to an illegal immigrant enrolled in our law school, who then used that platform to speak in favor of civil unrest to push a political agenda,” said Cervera.

Greg Torres, a member of the student senate, agrees to the proposition the University’s decision to sponsor illegal immigration activism violates established policy and precedent, “It’s embarrassing for all Hispanic students whose families have worked hard to make a name for themselves, as opposed to doing it illegally and in a way that university policy clearly opposes.”

One university official defended the school's decision claiming that Cervera’s proposal threatens to stifle debate on campus. Dr. Elizabeth Palacios, Baylor University’s Dean for Student Development, is quoted in the November 3, 2011 edition of the campus newspaper with the following, “As a university, we are never going to be Tier 1 if we censor thoughts that are incongruent [with our beliefs].”

Garrett referenced a report from the March 4, 2011 edition of the campus newspaper, with Palacios defending the private Christian school’s decision to deny the Sexual Identity Forum, a GLBT-advocacy group, an official charter.

“When it’s apparent that there is a stance being taken by the language, by the spirit or by the intent of a group, then it takes on a different purpose and it takes on a different slant,” said Dr. Palacios, explaining the school’s decision to deny a student group charter.

Duke Machado, president of the Hispanic Republican Club, says Cervera’s action marks the importance of minorities becoming more independently engaged. “It needs to start with us,” said Machado, “It’s important that minorities aggressively counter abuses of racial identity for political gain.”

Felipe Reyna, a retired appeals court justice and Baylor Law graduate, also weighed in on the matter, “For a Baylor Law student to speak favorably of engaging in unlawful activity to push a political view is really shameful. I sincerely hope university administrators will rethink their decision to defend sponsoring such an event.”
(ht: Baylor YCT)

We, at MAXINE, believe it is time for all citizens to embrace the concept of defending legal immigration and the right of citizens to pour value back into the proposition of actually being a citizen of the country they wish to have protected and defended.

Tea Party vs Occupy Movement - Boston Herald's Confusing Take

2011-11-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

The Media’s Guide to Protestors - Image Credit: William Warren via Liberty Features (2011)

Tea Party vs Occupy Movement - Boston Herald's Confusing Take

Over the weekend, the Boston Herald posted an article that tried to make the case of commonality between the Tea Party Movement and the Occupy (wherever) Movement. The proposition that the article tried to make from a national poll with 1,005 American adults (no background on demographic ... assume random) was that people were becoming tired of public political activism.

While the title of the article delivered a direct comparison and linkage of the Occupy Movement to the Tea Party Movement, the first five paragraphs were devoted to the Occupy Movement, the next three paragraphs were devoted to the Tea Party Movement, and the balance of the analysis placed the two movements side-by-side with the conclusion as follows:

This excerpted and edited from the Boston Herald -

Thumbs down for Occupy, Tea Party in new nationwide poll
By Joe Battenfeld - Originally posted November 6, 2011

The Occupy Wall Street movement may be starting to lose its luster with the American public, with four in ten now saying they have an unfavorable view of the protests, a new nationwide UMass Lowell/Boston Herald poll shows.
----
But the UMass Lowell/Herald poll shows one clear trend — that Americans have a more negative view of the Tea Party movement than the Wall Street protests.
----
More than 71 percent of all American adults have an unfavorable impression of the federal government, including 72 percent of Occupy Wall Street supporters and 86 percent of Tea Party sympathizers. And about three-quarters of all Americans say that political action committees and large corporations have too much influence in politics.

This indicates the most successful strategy for winning office in 2012 would be running against both Washington and Wall Street — a strategy already being tested in Massachusetts by Democratic Senate challenger Elizabeth Warren and the current incumbent, Republican Sen. Scott Brown.

But while Tea Party and Occupy supporters may share some views, they don’t have much else in common, according to the UMass Lowell/Herald poll.

Nearly two-thirds of Tea Party sympathizers describe their political views as conservative, while just 14 percent of Occupy Wall Street backers call themselves conservative.

A third of those who have a favorable view of the Occupy movement say they are liberals, while just 5 percent of Tea Party backers describe themselves as liberal.
[Reference Here]

The following poll was featured in the sidebar on the right side of the Boston Herald article:

Herald Pulse

Where do you stand on the Occupy and Tea Party movements?

27% - Occupy campers annoy me
14% - I back what Occupy has to say
7% - The Tea Party annoys me
36% - I’m all for what the Tea Party stands for
4% - I like them both
12% - I dislike them both

Total Votes: 2,018

What if the poll answer choices were arranged a little differently as in like-with-like questions:

Positive
36% - I’m all for what the Tea Party stands for
14% - I back what Occupy has to say

Negative
7% - The Tea Party annoys me
27% - Occupy campers annoy me

General Attitude
4% - I like them both
12% - I dislike them both

When arranged in this way, one comes away with a completely different picture of the attitudes of the two thousand plus Boston Herald reader respondents.

For those having a positive view of either approach, just add "I like them both at 4%" to the affirmative question posed for each movement.

For those having a negative view of either approach, just add "I dislike them both at 12%" to the negative question posed for each movement.

Tea Party Movement
Positive - 40% / Negative - 26%
(66% response attention)

Occupy Movement
Positive - 18% / Negative - 39%
(57% response attention)

Last Comparison
TP Positive - 40% | OM Negative - 39% = 79% similar attitude camp

OM Positive - 18% | TP Negative - 26% = 44% similar attitude camp

Sorry, it just seems that the Boston Herald has its focus on the wrong set of information numbers and thereby performs a disservice to its readers with the conclusions they choose to highlight and put forward. The media seems bent on using polls to shape opinion as opposed to inform opinion.

Why doesn't the Boston Herald look at their own reader respondent poll which seems to be as vetted and directed (with twice as many responses - over 2,000) as the poll they used for the development of the original article that ultimately tries to paint the Senate seat contest between Democratic Senate challenger (OM attitude camp) Elizabeth Warren and the current incumbent, Republican Sen. (TP attitude camp) Scott Brown as ... wait for it ... a toss-up.

A deeper look at the sidebar poll seems to suggest a different projected outlook.

<Article first appeared as Tea Party vs Occupy Movement - Boston Herald's Confusing Take at Technorati>

Homes Of The Progressive And Occupy Protest Minded

2011-11-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

Robin Leach, after reviewing the photo slideshow of the home of the progressive and occupy movement arrested, would wonder where's the script for the next show of the "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous"! Image Credit: wikipedia.com

Homes Of The Progressive And Occupy Protest Minded
If one reviews the public information available through arrest records, one finds out that folks who get arrested at an Occupy Movement protest rally might be good candidates for a reality TV revival of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

In an investigative report and slideshow originally issued by the Daily Caller, it becomes pretty eye-opening to see just who the self-called 99% of the people really are if arrest records are any gauge.

District of Columbia: An Occupy Wall Street protester arrested on October 1 — presumably penniless and from a blue-collar family — lives in this $850,000 home in the nation’s capital. Caption and Image Credit: Daily Caller

This excerpted and edited from the Daily Caller -

NYC arrest records: Many Occupy Wall Street protesters live in luxury
By Will Rahn - Published: 12:45 AM 11/02/2011 | Updated: 10:32 AM 11/02/2011

For each of the 984 Occupy Wall Street protesters arrested in New York City between September 18 and October 15, police collected and filed an information sheet recording the arrestee’s name, age, sex, criminal charge, home address and — in most cases — race. The Daily Caller has obtained all of this information from a source in the New York City government.

Among addresses for which information is available, single-family homes listed on those police intake forms have a median value of $305,000 — a far higher number than the $185,400 median value of owner-occupied housing units in the United States.

Some of the homes where “Occupy” arrestees reside, viewed through Google Maps and the Multiple Listing Service real estate database, are the definition of opulence.

Texas: This mansion has five bedrooms and, from the looks of it, plenty of space for a drum circle. Its economically disadvantaged occupant was arrested while “occupying” Wall Street on October 5. Caption and Image Credit: Daily Caller

Using county assessors and online resources such as Zillow.com, TheDC estimated property values and rents for 87 percent of the homes and 59 percent of the apartments listed in the arrest records.

Even in the nation’s currently depressed housing market, at least 95 of the protesters’ residences are worth approximately $500,000 or more. (RELATED SLIDESHOW: Opulent homes of the ’99 percent’)

The median monthly rent for those living in apartments whose information is readily available is $1,850.

Of the 984 protesters arrested, at least 797 are white. The median age of “Occupy” protesters taken into custody is 27 years.
[Reference Here]

New York: The pricey brownstone with the red door on a street where homes go for $850,000? It’s home to an impoverished Occupy Wall Street protester arrested on October 15. Caption and Image Credit: Daily Caller

Exposed to this type of eye-opening information, one could easily project that this Occupy Movement is NOT what the protesters say it is about. This protest action is just Progressive Chaos Creation 101 for a big, bigger, biggest federal government thanks to the SEIU, AFL-CIO, any public sector union, community organizing groups formally known as ACORN, and the Democrat Political Party. This is just another episode in the Lifestyles of the Progressive And Occupy Protest Minded rich people!

Socialistic "champagne wishes and caviar dreams" ... where is Robin Leach when we need him?

<Article first published as Homes Of The Progressive And Occupy Protest Minded at Technorati>

Herman Cain Accused ... It Is Time To "Occupy Politico"

2011-10-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Fearing the message of Herman Cain who is shaking up the political landscape in Washington, Inside the Beltway media have begun to launch unsubstantiated personal attacks on Cain. Since Washington establishment critics haven't had much luck in attacking Mr. Cain's ideas to fix a bad economy and create jobs, they are trying to attack him in any way they can. Caption Credit: hermancain.com | Image Credit: Politico.com

Herman Cain Accused ... It Is Time To "Occupy Politico"

We have seen this type of dust up before, remember Clarence Thomas about twenty years ago?

The internet political news source, Politico (not known for a fair and balanced stance) broke a story of sexual harassment by Herman Cain that happened while he was the head of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s. According to the Jonathon Martin of Politico, at least two female employees complained to colleagues and senior NRA association officials about inappropriate behavior by Cain, according to Martin, multiple (unnamed) sources confirm to Politico the following happened.

"The women complained of sexually suggestive behavior by Cain that made them angry and uncomfortable, the sources said, and they signed agreements with the restaurant group that gave them financial payouts to leave the association. The agreements also included language that bars the women from talking about their departures."
[Reference Here]

Politico states that it has confirmed the identities of the two female restaurant association employees who complained about Cain but, for privacy concerns, is not publishing their names.

In America, except in politics, people have the right to face their accuser. If Herman Cain can not have the right to meet his accusers, voting people from the Tea Party, to independents, to just plain Herman Cain supporters should stand at the door of Politico and "Occupy Politico" until the people behind these accusations are revealed. The sources that disclosed this information to Politico, the two female restaurant association employees who complained about Cain, and the full disclosure of what actually happened needs to come to public light just as the Congress forced the American people to witness nearly 20 years ago with the "High Tech Lynching" accusations of Clarence Thomas as he was being confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice.

The Congress and Anita Hill could not prove that Clarence Thomas was a pervert and it is suspected that these accusations of Herman Cain would amount to be as consequential and valid as the accusations on Thomas.

It is time to refuse to play this Inside the Beltway media game. Demand the sources, demand that the accusers reveal themselves, demand the evidence ... "OCCUPY POLITICO"!

<Article first published as Herman Cain Accused … It Is Time To “Occupy Politico” at Technorati>

Good Morning America Asks Will Obama's Lower College Loan Payments Plan Help?

2011-10-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

Good Morning America (GMA) is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now. Its current one-hour weekend edition debuted in 2004. Image Credit: ABC News via ShareTV.org

Good Morning America Asks Will Obama's Lower College Loan Payments Plan Help?
or ... Why Corporate Media Gets It's Label "Lame Stream Media" - Polling Question Analysis

About 20 hours ago, Good Morning America posted up this question at the polling centered social web portal known as SodaHead:

Obama Unveils New Plan to Lower College Loan Payments. Will It Help?
by Good Morning America - Posted October 26, 2011 (20 hours ago)

The answers were posed/written as follows:

Yes, I think it will make a difference to students. - 1,917 responses

No, the plan doesn't go far enough! - 1,562 responses
[Reference Here]

A SodaHead "Thumbs-Up" graphic that people click on if they like an answer to a poll question. Image Credit: SodaHead

The most popular answer to a question as per the number of "thumbs up":

By - Tinka123 (edited) / 19 hours ago

Q) No, the plan doesn’t go far enough!

A) These answers aren't skewed. I guess we know what answer Good Morning America wants - too bad they didn't include us [people who are not liberal or progressive] in their poll. How about NO - it won't work?

A YES answer offered this opinion (it was the only opinion left by a YES answer respondent out of 26 total opinions offered in 3479 total poll answers):

State Street / 19 hours ago

Yes, it will help tremendously. Education should be affordable to everyone. A society that's healthy, educated, and confident is harder to control than one that isn't. That I believe is why there are many elements on the right that don't want something like that to come to fruition.

One person decided not to answer but just leave a comment on someone else's NO answer as a REPLY:

Lanikai / 7 hours ago

I refused to pick one of the two BIASED answers. So I am tagging on you, if you don't mind. The break down I saw this morning on MSNBC, showed that a $212,000.00 private college education for 4 years, would mean the student eventually paid back just under $29,000.00 and the taxpayers eat the rest. UNFAIR on every level.

What is SodaHead? - SodaHead informs and entertains a loyal and passionate following that visits our site to discover, debate, and discuss the day's hottest issues. We offer marketers new and innovative ways of engaging with young, hip, and digitally savvy consumers. We enable partners to leverage SodaHead’s product suite to enhance their offerings. Image Credit: SodaHead

We, at MAXINE, left the following response to the Good Morning America Poll:

I voted NO ... but it is not a matter if The Executive Branch's plan goes far enough or not.

Instead of punishing banks and other money lenders of student loans … make the Colleges issue a REBATE – on behalf of those having trouble meeting the terms of their loans – to the Banks! Isn’t it time that the real gougers of students/society be made to pay for their own action of pricing themselves out of a formally stable market?

Instead of punishing banks and other money lenders of student loans … make the Colleges issue a REBATE – on behalf of those having trouble meeting the terms of their loans – to the Banks! Isn’t it time that the real gougers of students/society be made to pay for their own action of pricing themselves out of a formally stable market?

Just asking.

Hey, ABC! … Nice posed/written poll answer choices … NOT!

[Article first published as Good Morning America Asks Will Obama's Lower College Loan Payments Plan Help? at Technorati]

Tea Party, Or Progressive Agenda Movement Declaration Document?

2011-10-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

A flag is waved during a rally Saturday at Los Angeles City Hall where "Occupy LA" activists protested Wall Street practices and the distribution of wealth in the United States. The demonstration was modeled after a similar movement in New York that has been staging a sit-in on Wall Street for almost two weeks ... without much incident. Image Credit: Christina House / For The Times / October 1, 2011

Tea Party, Or Progressive Agenda Movement Declaration Document?

This weekend, some noise and attention was trying to be made here in Los Angeles. Just as some organized people were trying to make for the last couple of weeks or so in New York. This organized group of people are also attempting to create the look of a grassroots movement - much like the Tea Party Movement evolved - but this creation is, in fact, a creation of people who have a decidedly different '60's radical agenda.

One might call this a "put up" job in order to manipulate folks into acts of chaos and agitation ... but I will let the reader decide what to make of this declaration of accusations and indictment.

Are these points of declaration from Tea Party politicos who are amazed at how the U. S. Government has grown out of control or are they connected directly to an organization that is backed by the efforts of a major politically progressive stalwart as an American labor union showing a decided dislike to Corporations in general ... judge for yourself.

Loki Freeman, left, and Brad Baudot participate in a demonstration at Pershing Square. Which organizations are stronger here ... the Corporations or the United States Government? Has anyone seen the new GE microwave oven with a USDA "My Plate" button programming selection? Image Credit: Christina House / For The Times / October 1, 2011

This excerpted and edited from "Declaration of the Occupation of New York City" -

Start each sentence with "They Have":

taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage.
taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses.
perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation.
poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization.
profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices.
continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right.
consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay.
influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility.
spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance.
sold our privacy as a commodity.
used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press.
deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit.
determine[d] economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce.
donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them.
to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantive profit.
purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit.
purposefully kept people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media.
accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt.
perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad.
participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas.
continue[d] to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive [or issue] government contracts.

[reference here]

END

Ok, here are the goods ... as it were. The fact of the matter these declaration points were issued in a document entitled "Declaration of the Occupation of New York City" by a (they would have you believe) two week old Occupy America Movement - right now it is recognized by the name "Occupy (insert name of city here)" like Occupy Wall Street, or Occupy Los Angeles, Occupy Hawaii, and etc.

This groundswell of haphazard activity is the supported brainchild of a high official in the SEIU labor union who is known to be a major supporter of the Democrat Political Party and progressively socialist political views by the name of Stephen Lerner (the one source that had been able to get the word out on this movement was cultural and political observer Glenn Beck who originally reported this information back in March 22, 2011).

Tim Ottman of Los Angeles prepares to participate in the demonstration. At City Hall, protesters set up an open microphone and speakers took turns urging one another to take action against government policies and to pressure lawmakers for reforms. Image Credit: Christina House / For The Times / October 1, 2011

This excerpted and edited from The Blaze -

Who Is Behind the ‘US Day of Rage’ to ‘Occupy’ Wall Street this September 17th?
Posted on August 19, 2011 at 11:20am by Tiffany Gabbay

A US Day of Rage is the title given to a day of ostensibly “non-violent” civil disobedience orchestrated by a group of radicals — that reportedly include SEIU’s Stephen Lerner and ACORN founder Wade Rathke (who, coincidentally, formerly served as president of SEIU’s local New Orleans branch) — targeting Wall Street and U.S. capitalism.

It’s worth noting that the title of the movement — if its intentions are indeed non-violent in nature — appears to contradict itself slightly.
----
You may recall that back in March The Blaze exposed Lerner for stating his aspirations to destroy JP Morgan Chase and cause the collapse of the entire stock market.
----
Some Day of Rage organizers are even calling on activists to squat in Manhattan’s financial district for months at a time. The Blaze’s report on Lerner, who serves on SEIU’s International Executive Board, caught the union agitator stating:

"So, a bunch of us around the country are thinking about who would be a really good company to hate? We decided that would be JP Morgan Chase. ….

And so we’re going to roll out over the next couple of months what will hopefully be an exciting campaign about JP Morgan Chase that is really about challenge the power of Wall Street.

And so what we’re looking at is in the first week of May, we get enough people together – we’re starting now – to really have a week of action in New York with the goal of … I don’t want to go into any details because I don’t know which police agents are in the room, but the goal would be that we would roll out in New York the first week in May."

[Reference Here]

This weekend's crowd that gathered from a metropolis of about 8 million people who rallied at the Occupy LA event was maybe 50 to 100 or so people. The media is reporting this activity as if it is credible.

Do you think it might be that people know a single U.S. Government has more power than even a whole industry of connected corporations … that within the Obama Administration, THEY HAVE taken over corporations (GM & Chrysler) and turned over ownership of the assets to Labor Unions in the face of established business law?

[Article first published under Tea Party, Or Progressive Agenda Movement Declaration Document? at Technorati]

MSNBC's Programming Double Down - Up With Chris Hayes, Weekends

2011-09-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

UP with Chris Hayes - ctrl-click image here to see a 9 minute and 14 second opinion piece conducted by Chris on Solyndra entitled - Why the Solyndra failure isn’t a “scandal”. Image Credit: thepoliticalcarnival.net

Here, at MAXINE, we are prone to fall asleep with the TV on. It is a habit groomed from a life with frequent travel and a desire to keep up with information that might be developing during the night ... if we happen to wake up. In the early ninties we had live reports from Gulf War I on CNN. The growth of Cable TV and Gulf War II just cemented this habit not to mention that once this process was embraced, every hotel room around the world was comfortable with the same type of background noise as a home bedroom no matter the outside ambient difference.

This morning, however, was a little different - Oh, to be rudely woken up to the sound of the voice of new TV opinion show host, Chris Hayes - a self-described Communitarian & Egalitarian ... read this as 60's radical socialist, as he puts forward his unchallenged logic followed by a cast of talking-heads that would make an echo chamber shatter was too much for a half-awake, personal-freedom focused 4:30am PT brain could take.

This penchant for some Cable TV "News" stations to construct a monolith of liberal talk shows with hosts who have a progressive agenda (examples - CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 and Fareed Zakaria GPS - Global Public Square and author of "The Post-American World", MSNBC's Morning Joe ... that's pretty much it for this outlet) is not new, but most, at least try to bring a shadow of an alternative balance of opinion with the dais that joins the host in a discussion ... even if it is to only give another point of view the grace of being mentioned. Do not expect this on "UP, with Chris Hayes".

This excerpted and edited from The Huffington Post -

Chris Hayes, the Washington editor for "The Nation" and a longtime contributor to MSNBC, is getting a weekend morning show. Hayes made the news official on Twitter on Monday, and MSNBC released its official announcement shortly after.

The show starts on September 17. It will air on Saturdays from 7-9 AM and on Sundays from 8-10 AM. Alex Witt, MSNBC's regular weekend anchor, will see her show pushed back on both days. The launch of the show marks another attempt by MSNBC to successfully program weekends—something it has not been known for in the past.
[Reference Here]

The round table of talking-heads included:

Reihan Salam, Columnist - The Daily.com / National Review Online - Salam is an unorthodox conservative. He has written that he intends to "pump ideas into the bloodstream" of American conservatism." ... read this as a person who has very little problem with a big, bigger, biggest government approach and will consider looking into, and discussing changes in the Constitution. He advocates policies that strengthen traditional family structure but has supported gay marriage for years.

Anne-Marie Slaughter, Princeton University International Affaires Professor - Former Director of Policy Planning for the United States Department of State in the Obama Administration from 2009-2011 (more on her POV below having to do with the petition by the Palestine Authority to become a recognized state by the United Nations).

Liliana Segura, Columnist - The Nation - this, from the About on her blog - I'm an independent journalist and editor with a focus on social justice, prisons & harsh sentencing.

Ezra Klien, Columinst - The Washington Post - In February 2007 Klein created a Google Groups forum called "JournoList" for discussing politics and the news media. The forum's membership was controlled by Klein and limited to "several hundred left-leaning bloggers, political reporters, magazine writers, policy wonks and academics."Posts within JournoList were intended only to be made and read by its members. Klein defended the forum saying that it "[ensures] that folks feel safe giving off-the-cuff analysis and instant reactions". JournoList member, and Time magazine columnist, Joe Klein added that the off-the-record nature of the forum was necessary because “candor is essential and can only be guaranteed by keeping these conversations private”.

Topics Covered:

Topic - The Politics Of Tax Raises - about 3 segments - Not one comment about the possibility that the size and scope of Federal Government ... ANY government ... might be too large and out of control on how it manages its charter and the spending of tax monies collected.

Topic - Killed By The State - at least 2 segments - A pure anti-death penalty discussion that surrounded the execution of Troy Davis. They lamented that this execution may not be a game-changer for the death penalty but they wanted it to become part of a growing conversation about ensuring that innocent people aren't killed or die in prison. A good question is - Why have a justice system with 12 jurors and several automatic judicial reviews and retrials before a sentence is carried out if there is no final justice ... the justice of a sentence carried out?

Topic - GOP 2012 - 1 segment focused on Perry's statement on immigration and heart. Actual citizenship of the United States did not seem to have any weight in this conversation at all. Further, it was stated and the view was shared by all sitting around the table that they were surprised that some in the audience of Conservatives would actually BOO soldiers in the military when some in the crowd gave a less than accepting response to a YouTube question about upholding the elimination of Don't Ask Don't Tell if they became President. None of these folks ever came to the conclusion that the Conservatives in the audience were booing the policy ... not the solider.

Topic - The State Of Palestine - Change in contributors - Anne-Marie Slaughter plus via remote, Diana Buttu The Dubai Initiative, Harvard University. Highlight - the former Obama State Department official, Slaughter, stated that the Palestine leadership had every right to ask the UN for a ruling on a declaration of Statehood / the Obama Administration has not been able to bring the parties to the table - the UN should not take the petition for a vote but use it to get the parties back to the negotiation table. - 1 segment

Topic - Israel & The GOP ... Word Cloud which had Israel as the largest word - derided as identity politics and as the only international relations topic covered in the debate, Reihan brings on the historic point of the previous Republican debates on the Panama Canal during the end of the Carter era ... Slaughter smiles with glee at the comparison and dilution of the topic through the linkage. - 1 segment

Topic - Update (a short segment on corrections in statements made on a previous show - this probably could at least be an hour of a show in itself if they actually understood what the definition of counterpoint was).

Topic - "Now We Know", subtitle - What We Do Know Now We Didn't Know A Week Ago - Highlights snark points about anything non-liberal like the Koch Brothers new increased ranking in the list of America's richest people ... right, no mention of the fact that George Soros also had an increase in ranking and broke into the top 10 for the first time since he has been on this list. Coming in at No. 7, Soros had a fortune of $22 billion after adding $7.8 billion to his net worth thanks to investments in gold and related securities as well as equities. Soros switched to cash in the spring, allowing him to preserve his gains and miss market turmoil caused by the sovereign debt crisis in Europe.

END ... thank, God.

One more note in fairness - Fox News has a round table hour that replaced Glenn Beck called "The Five". This show has at least one committed Democrat liberal on the dais at all times.

Also - do not confuse political opinion shows that are headed by a single personality like Glenn Beck (who now has moved on from Fox News to internet subscription streaming with GBTV.com), Chris Matthews, Rachael Maddow, Bill O'Reilley, Sean Hannity, Larry O'Donnell, and the like because these are pure personality driven, subject exploration shows with some of these programs making it a point to interview people from all different points of view regardless of the POV of the personality.

Question: Why was the bedroom TV on MSNBC (BSLSD - self-explanatory) at all?

Answer: Must have rolled over on the remote and reset the channel.

(Article first published as MSNBC's Doubling Down - Up With Chris Hayes, Weekends at Technorati)

"Restoring Courage" - Glenn Beck Launches A Week Of Rally Events From Israel

2011-08-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Glenn Beck Launches "Restoring Courage" Week Of Rally Events From Israel - These photos are from the first night of events on Sunday 8-21-2011 [ctrl-click image above to see videos of event]. Image Credit: The Blaze

"Restoring Courage" - Glenn Beck Launches A Week Of Rally Events From Israel

Last year before the 2010 elections, those who were paying attention to movements in our American Culture were treated to an exhibition of the power of like-minded people gathering just to recognize and affirm that this American concept of self-rule was still alive.

Glenn Beck held a rally entitled "Restoring Honor" on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, situated at one end of an area in Washington D.C. known as The Mall. On August 28, 2010, people came from all over the country to stand and listen to Glenn Beck and others talk about Restoring Honor and raise money for scholarships to be applied to the children left behind by their fathers who had died defending our country.

Glenn Beck Launches "Restoring Courage" Week Of Rally Events From Israel - These photos are from the first night of events on Sunday 8-21-2011. Image Credit: The Blaze

What was one of the most amazing elements of this Restoring Honor (honor equals TRUTH) rally is that it was estimated, through aerial photography of The Mall, that this crowd of like-minded people gathered around the Reflecting Pool and the adjacent open field was at least 500,000 people strong.

This year, Glenn Beck has taken his awareness show on the road, as it were, to Israel in the form of a week of themed presentation/rallies entitled "Restoring Courage". Glenn announced this effort soon after he split with Fox News and it is suspected that this world outreach effort may have been the main point of the split between the news channel and the one hour daily program they aired featuring Glenn Beck. Roger Ailes, the General Manager and one of the architects of Fox News, stated at the time that they wanted to broadcast ... personalities that wanted to deliver a daily hour show on a weekly basis.

Glenn Beck Launches "Restoring Courage" Week Of Rally Events From Israel - These photos are from the first night of events on Sunday 8-21-2011. Image Credit: The Blaze

The event, “Restoring Courage,” serves as a step forward from last summer’s “Restoring Honor” rally held on 8/28 in Washington, D.C.

Said Glenn Beck at the time of the announcement -

“I believe I’ve been asked to stand — in Jerusalem,” Beck told his audience recounting a list of times in history when people and nations failed to stand with the Jewish people. Beck explained, as he has often in the last year, how the life and thinking of the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer has influenced him: “He asked people to stand for the Jewish people.” He told of Bonhoeffer’s call for pastors to stand with him. Only six did.

Glenn Beck Launches "Restoring Courage" Week Of Rally Events From Israel - These photos are from the first night of events on Sunday 8-21-2011. Image Credit: The Blaze

Beck detailed current challenges facing the nation — “Things in Israel are going to get bad…it’s only a matter of time.”

“They are going to attack the center of our faith, our common faith, and that is Jerusalem. And it won’t be with bullets or bombs. It will be with a two-state solution that cuts off Jerusalem, the old city, to the rest of the world.”

“It is time to return inside the walls that surround Jerusalem and stand with people of all faiths all around the world.”

Glenn Beck Launches "Restoring Courage" Week Of Rally Events From Israel - These photos are from the first night of events on Sunday 8-21-2011. Image Credit: The Blaze

The "Restoring Courage" week of presentations and gatherings will be broadcast on GBTV, a subscription internet television service. Last night, as the sun eased it’s way into the Mediterranean horizon, Glenn Beck greeted an enthusiastic crowd of over 3,000 at the Caesarea Amphitheater: “Welcome to the land of milk and honey!”

Beck’s week of “Restoring Courage” events began Sunday with a religiously themed evening entitled “The Courage to Love.”

Read More Here

[Article first published as "Restoring Courage" - Glenn Beck Launches A Week Of Rally Events From Israel on Technorati]