Headlines

All found on Internet news sites. Guess which ones came from Politico?

Trump: Meeting with Putin was tremendous

CNN may have had the worst week in Washington

Sears to close 43 more stores ...

Deep State Sabotage: Trump facing 7X more nat'l security leaks than Bush, Obama

Poll shows strong support for GOP's Kate Steinle's law

Trump splits with other G-20 leaders on climate change

After lengthy fight, DOJ clears Texas' voter ID law

Chris Christie to become talkradio host ...

Attorney General Jeff Sessions heads to Gitmo to address use of camp

Trump's leaks crackdown sends chills through national security world

Progressives aren't willing to give Karmala Harris a shot against Trump

Pentagon plans to test THAAD missile defense ...

Eating Their Children

The Republicans are getting vicious. Jeb Bush is doing his best to eviscerate Marco Rubio ... a strategy that makes Jeb look petty. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are finally in a cage match ... talk about being petty! Chris Christie is a little gentler with his brickbats for his fellow Republicans ... preferring to save most of them for Hillary Clinton. Even a former candidate, Lindsey Graham, offers zingers for Cruz and Trump. The bystanders to this mayhem, Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, John Kasich and Rick Santorum, all have been relatively pacified ... primarily I believe due to lack of advertising funds, Maybe after all the smoke clears, one of them will have a chance to shine ... but this is doubtful.

The media talking heads like to paint this fight as a competition between the establishment candidates -- Bush, Rubio, Kasich and Santorum ... and the outsiders -- Trump, Christie, Carson, Huckabee, Fiorina and Cruz. Rand Paul seems somewhere in the middle ... maybe that is his grand strategy. And so it seems that the major skirmishes are within these camps ... the semi-finals so to speak. The expectation then is that the final Republican internecine contest will be between the outsiders and the establishment standard bearers ... possibly Trump and Rubio.

I would love the winner in the finals to be Rubio, but I am afraid it will be Trump ... a lot having to do with Jeb's vicious attacks on Marco.

If the Republicans are eating their children, the Democrats may be eating their children and grandchildren ... but that is for another time.

Hard Ball

Am I nuts, but does it seem that there is an all-out effort to get conservatives in legal hot water?  We all know of Governor Chris Christie’s troubles in New Jersey.  And former Virginia Governor, Bob McDonnell, is now under federal indictment … see: Washington Post Article … it seems mostly due to his wife’s misdeeds. 

Suddenly, conservative author and filmmaker, Dinesh D’Souza, is under federal indictment for violating federal campaign finance laws … see: Hollywood Reporter Story.  Next conservative activists, James O’Keefe (remember those revealing Acorn videos?), has been targeted by New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, with subpoenas and document requests … see: Fox News Story.

And this is just on the legal front.  New York City Mayor, Bill DeBlasio, apparently just held back plowing the snow from the areas of the city that didn’t vote for him … see: NY Daily New Article.  (How is this any different from closing down three toll booths on the George Washington Bridge?) And a chin-out Governor Cuomo has also invited anyone opposed to abortion to leave New York State … see: National Review Story.

It is quite disturbing to me to see the heavy hand of liberal government being used to try to cower conservative opponents … just as it would be disturbing if New Jersey Governor Christie was involved in the equivalent.  While many independents in this country are frustrated and calling for moderation, the bellicose libs seem to be ratcheting up the political wars.  The only difference is the brand of baseball being reported in the media … liberals get slow-pitch softball … conservatives are getting quite a parcel of fast-pitch hardball. 

What did former Obama Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, say, “If they bring a knife to a fight, you bring a gun?”

Too Big for His Britches?

This morning on “Morning Joe,” John Heilemann revealed a Governor Chris Christie flaw that has me in a funk.  He said that Christie told Mitt Romney that he could not do a 2012 presidential fund-raiser in New Jersey until Christie had endorsed him (see: Time Magazine Story).  If true, this was obviously one of the (possibly many) vetted reasons that Romney did not pick Christie as his vice-presidential running mate.  And, is the fact that Romney didn’t pick him, the reason why Christie, as retribution, gave President Obama a big bear hug right before the 2012 election?

Christie claimed in his recent two-hour televised denial of any involvement in the Bridgegate “scandal” that he is “not a bully.”  Now, after seeing him operate over the last two years, we all know that this is not quite true.  But his machismo was part of his charm and differentiated him as a possible presidential candidate … he (unlike Romney) could stand up to the take-no-prisoners tactics of the Democrats. But I think most of us believed that his gruffness would just be only directed to his opponents … not toward those in his own party.  Maybe we were naive.

Now if Chris Christie were to win the 2016 Republican nomination, would the American people then be forced to trade-in Chicago-style thuggery for New Jersey- or Arkansas-style thuggery?  Yipes, not a very happy thought!  Let us hope that, in losing some of his physical girth (as a result of his gastric bypass), Christie also loses some of his too-big-for-his-britches management style.  If he learns a little humility and fair-play, then maybe … just maybe … he might make a good President.  If not, choosing between Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie would be very painful indeed.

Fish Bones

I think most of us have encountered a few bones in a delicious piece of fish … not enough to spoil the meal, but still a small blot on our prandial perfection.  This irritation also occurs in politics. Often, someone running for political office, who espouses views that are mostly congruent with our value system, still may have a few quirks that cause us to think twice.  He doesn’t believe in evolution.  She, on religious grounds, opposes abortion or gay marriage.  He once smoked marijuana or used cocaine.

The question then becomes … do we let perfection become the enemy of the good?  I believe too often we do … particularly if this political-office aspirant's quirk is belittled in the media. Isn’t it funny?  Pope Francis can be against abortion but he is for income redistribution … so he is an OK fellow.  Whereas a Tea Party member, who wants to rein in big government, yet mimics Pope Francis on this social issue, is castigated by the national media and then by the voters.

It constantly amazes me how much influence the media can have in public opinion formation.  We are witnessing this dynamic at work today in the brouhaha surrounding Governor Chris Christie.  He has a very strong personality and likes to have his political way … often the conservative way.  And yet he still won an overwhelming re-election victory in a deep blue state, New Jersey.  But, as soon as he starts edging out Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential polls, these assets are suddenly turned into liabilities.  I am fascinated watching how the media is trying to pull off this legerdemain.

We voters certainly are a fickled bunch … that’s why we too often stick with fish-fillet candidates.

Afterthought: Actually there are people who won't eat fish at all because of the bones.  The analog in this context is the single-issue voter.  ("if you don't pay for my birth control, you won'y get my vote!")  Such are the bane of the democratic process.

Contrast

Lois Lerner – The IRS Director who orchestrated the suppression of Tea-Party and other right-wing groups from registering as tax-exempt organizations in advance of the 2012 presidential election.  Ms. Lerner, after asserting her innocence in this matter in front of a Congressional hearing, then refused to answer any question citing her Fifth Amendment rights.  Ms. Lerner has subsequently been allowed to retire from the government with full benefits … see: Christian Science Monitor Story.  Nobody in the Obama administration has been fired as a result of this gross malfeasance.

Bridget Anne Kelly – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s Deputy Chief of Staff who sent an e-mail to Port Authority executive David Wildstein suggesting that Fort Lee, New Jersey might experience some traffic problems after its Mayor had refused to endorse Christie for Governor in the 2013 election ... which then resulted in huge traffic jams at the George Washington Bridge. When Governor Christie was informed of her action, he immediately fired Ms. Kelly for lying to him … see: Chicago Tribune Story.  Mr. Wildstein retired from the Port Authority last December ... and is now also asserting his Fifth Amendment protection at a state inquiry about this matter in Trenton.

Toast

There is something very sinister about politics … as they say, “it ain’t beanbag.”  Chris Christie, once beloved by the media, is now a Republican presidential front runner and, therefore, experiencing the cold steel of the media assegais (an old W.C. Fields word … in “The Bank Dick” … see: The Long Knives).  Some boneheads on Christie’s staff apparently tried to take revenge on the mayor of Fort Lee, NJ for not supporting Christie in his re-election effort last fall.  They (again apparently) had a crony shut down three lanes onto the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee … creating a traffic nightmare there … sees: NewYorker Story.

Now, as I have previously indicated, I am not a Christie groupie (see: Rinos), but I do feel a little pang of condolence seeing such a McCain-job pulled on yet another Republican.  This smacks very much of the tactics that have been previously used by the Democrats (the Clintons and Obama in particular) to crush upstart Republican opponents.  Of course, a key element in such take-downs is the willing cooperation of important media outlets … and somehow this always happens.  What is more unnerving is that many conservatives will not rally to Christie’s defense because of his past animosity and sins toward them.  I’m certain that these assegai attackers counted on this reaction.

I confidently predict that whatever Christie does to counter this smear in his press conference today, it will not be quite enough.  And this will be just the first round of Christie’s waterboarding by the liberal press and talking heads … while (too) many on the right stay mum.  He is now effectively toast.  Can’t you just see Hillary quietly smirking her chipmunk grin?

The Tea Party’s Tea Party

The long knives of the Republican Party are out to emasculate the Tea Party.  Since Republican Representative Paul Ryan got his budget compromise (with Democrat Senator Patty Murray) passed into law, the establishment Republicans are feeling their oats … big mistake.  First John Boehner unloaded both barrels on Ted Cruz and the “Don’t tread on me” crowd … see: Huffington Post Story ... saying, “Frankly, I just think that they’ve [the Tea Party] lost all credibility.”  In the past I have thought that Boehner wasn’t immensely bright … but that he had good political senses.  I think he might have just disproved this supposition of mine.

Joining in this bashing of the right-wing of the Republican party are Karl Rove … see Breitbart Story and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce … see:  Another Breitbart Story  These have both been stalwarts of the Republican party but apparently believe that the ideological purity of the Tea Party members have cost their party too much in the polls and at the polling place.  Yes, to some degree these two representatives of the establishment of the GOP are correct.  But then one can also argue that this same wing of the Republican party have also had their share of political miscues … need I mention John McCain, Mitt Romney, Bob Dole, George H.W. Bush, etc.?  And even George W. Bush, Karl Rove’s hand puppet, did his level best to discourage the more conservative members of his party.

2010 was the coming-out victory for the Tea Party.  As a consequence, what did the Republican establishment do?  They did not monetarily support them (witness the recent governor’s race in Virginia) and did nothing to counter the smear campaign that the main-stream media has been reveling in ever since 2010. In other words, the Tea Party-ers are pariahs to not just Democrats … but also to establishment Republicans.  The Democrats have embraced their radical left, but the Republicans have been much too public in their opposition to their right wing.  How stupid can supposedly bright politicians be?!

The 2016 presidential election will be the acid test for establishment Republicans.  Paul Ryan and Chris Christie will fight for their nod … while Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz (maybe Sarah Palin?) will work the crowd on the Tea-Party right.  If the establishment Republicans nominate their candidate, they will lose once more. (As Rush Limbaugh often says, if voters have a choice between a Democrat and a Democrat, the Democrat ... Hillary Clinton ... will always win.)  If however the Tea Party prevails and the establishment Republicans, out of spite, abandon them in the Presidential election, I predict that this will also mean that Hillary will re-enter the White House.  But the Tea Party will not have lost everything.  They will, in effect, have replaced the old-guard GOPers as the future of their party.  That is, if we have a country left in 2020 to vie for.

Rinos

The unfortunate election results of yesterday … the Rino (Republican in Name Only), Chris Christie, wining in New Jersey while the Tea Party Republican, Ken Cuccinelli, losing in Virginia … will now be interpreted by political pundits mostly bass ackwardly.  Establishment Republicans such as John McCain, Reince Priebus, Eric Cantor, and John Boehner will take this as meaning that the right wing of the Republican Party are losers and moderate policies must prevail to allow them to recapture the American electorate in 2014 and 2016.

Bullhockey!  Had they stepped in to help Cuccinelli, things could have been easily reversed.  Even Chris Christie would not take the time to travel to Virginia to lend his support to Cuccinelli in his up-hill battle ... and little Republican national money was funneled in to help offset the massive fundraising for Terry McAuliffe. Apparently the establishment Republicans would rather the Democrats win than see the Tea Party strengthened.

These Rinos obviously have forgotten the lessons of 2008 and 2012 when establishment Republicans, John McCain and Mitt Romney, lost to a radical-left-wing Democrat, Barack Obama, despite Obama getting 8 million fewer votes in 2012 than he did in 2008.  Yes, in years past, moving to the middle has been a successful strategy to win large elections … a perfect example being Bill Clinton in both of his runs.

But things have changed in the Obama era.  The moderate Democrats (Dinos?) have switched gears and embraced their more radical left wing … to their great benefit … whereas the main stream media’s castigating of the Tea Party has caused the establishment Republicans to not only distance themselves from these country-firsters, but actually openly side with the lefties.  How utterly stupid!

If Mitt Romney could have found a way to appeal to the Tea Party last year, he would be President today … and we would not be up to our necks in the liberal swill that Obama’s Chicago mob has been shoveling our way.  And if the Republicans expect to beat Hillary Clinton in 2016, I sincerely doubt it will be with the likes of that hard-charging Rino, Chris Christie.  Oh yes, and if the Republicans are lucky enough to find someone further to the right whom they can embrace, he/she should not forget to still speak well of the Rinos.

Fruitcake

At the risk of being labeled a fruitcake, yesterday on a Skype call with friends, I suggested that Sarah Palin might be a good Presidential candidate for the Republicans in 2016.  Here is my logic:

American voters, as a rule, are clearly “uninformed.”  In 2008, they emotionally chose Barack Obama because he was, to use Harry Reid’s words, a “light-skinned African-American with no Negro dialect.”  This was to prove to themselves that this country was no longer racist … and that, by electing Obama, the stain of slavery would be forever cleansed.  And then they re-elected him in 2012 … despite the fact that he had proven himself of poor Presidential timber … using much of the same mindless naivete.

Now as we approach 2016, I believe that emotion will once again rule the American electorate … and this time they will feel that it is a woman’s turn to be President … independent of any consideration of competence or character.  I think that this will be the Democrat party’s strategy in putting forward Hillary Clinton.  It is her turn … and, barring any major scandal (maybe even with one), she should be a shoe in. 

I believe them right and the only defense against such an emotional appeal would be for the Republicans to also proffer a woman … perhaps Sarah Palin.  Yes, I know that much of the American media would have a field day sniping at her … much as they did in 2008.  But then they did exactly the same when Ronald Reagan was nominated … painting him as a know-nothing thespian … and he was elected in a landslide.  Since 2008, Ms. Palin has been annealed in the oven of national politics and has made virtually no blunders.  I’m sure she has even read some periodicals.

Ms. Palin clearly is a true-blue conservative … much like Reagan was … and unfortunately, no male Republican candidate would be able to debate Hillary on even terms.  Even Chris Christie, I’m afraid would be hobbled in his confrontational style when pitted against Hillary.  All she would need to do would be to mist up and Christie would be toast.  On the other hand, Sarah Palin would be on level ground and would be able to point out Hillary’s many fault lines without appearing sexist.  She should be able to hold her own in any debate ... and Hillary would get mushy at her own peril. 

Sometimes political parties need to go with the popular flow … and actually eat some of last-Christmas’s fruitcake.  It might even taste good.

Afterward: If Sarah Palin were to run, she obviously would have a long row to hoe ... if this brickbat is an example ... see: Breitbart Reference.

The 11th Commandment

One of the boat anchors on Republican Presidential chances in 2012 was the many heated debates between the numerous candidates in which they repeatedly scoured one another.  This was, of course, relished and abetted by the leftist national media … many of whom gleefully moderated these brawls.  By the time Mitt Romney emerged as the GOP’s candidate he had already been well tarnished by these debate fusillades and the numerous Democrat-sponsored ad smears.  These Democrat brickbats had largely gone unanswered since Romney’s media spending was limited during the primary season. 

It seams that this pattern is beginning to repeat itself for the 2016 election.  Rand Paul and Chris Christie already are going at it tooth and nail … see: Breitbart Story ... while Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democrat candidate, sails on upon unruffled seas.  If I find it difficult to imagine Chris Christie ever ripping into her the way he is savaging fellow Republicans, why should he have any standing as a potential Republican candidate?

But perhaps, just perhaps, the Republicans may be learning from their 2012 failures.  The Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman, Reince Preibus, has already indicated that CNN and NBC are unlikely to be hosting the 2016 Republican primary debates … see: The Hill Story.  Given Candy Crowley’s moderating performance in one Obama/Romney debate, I think that this decision is a slam-dunk … at least for CNN.  Of course, if the RNC uses only conservative-leaning moderators, it will probably lose coverage in the left-leaning media … BFD. 

The remaining fault-line for the Republicans is this continued internecine warfare.  Strong leadership from the RNC might also help solve this problem.  This group could easily decree that repeated sliming of fellow Republicans equals a disqualification for participation in future Republican Presidential debates … an enforcement of the “Eleventh Commandment.”  The Eleventh Commandment is usually attributed to Ronald Reagan.  It goes “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”  Yes, this would be a little dictatorial on the part of the RNC, but then, if Ms. Chipmunk Cheeks wins in 2016, we would be living in an audacious autocracy anyway.

Robin Hood Remake

Produced by George Soros
Directed by  David Axelrod

The Cast
Prince John -- Barack Obama
The Tax Collector -- Douglas Shulman
The Sheriff of Nottingham -- Eric Holder
Robin Hood -- Darrell Issa
Maid Marian -- Sarah Palin
Friar Tuck -- Chris Christie
Little John -- Lindsey Graham
Sir Guy of Gisbourne -- John Kerry

In a twist to this remake, Prince John is the one who robs from the rich and gives to the poor ... abetted by his Tax Collector and The Sheriff of Nottingham.  Robin Hood, on the other hand, tries to lead his Merry Men in a fight against Prince John's corruption and incompetence. Friar Tuck tucks it to the Merry Men by calling for a special election in Sherwood Forest.  Little John spends most of the movie vamping for the cameras.  Maid Marian gives her silk scarf to Robin Hood in hopes that he will win the archery contest on Capitol Hill.  Sir Guy of Gisbourne spends the entire movie trying to emulate Basil Rathbone.

A Tale of Two Narratives

Manneken Pis

There is no better measure of how still powerful the main-stream media's narratives are than the following recent contrast:  Pissing on a liberal icon (Bob Woodward) for tilting right is justified and good.  Putting a conservative icon (Chris Christie) in the penalty box for schmoozing with Obama is two-faced and evil.

Eating One’s Youngin’s

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has decided to eat some Republican youngin’s … at least figuratively.  He has blasted both barrels at John Boehner for not acting post haste and passing the $60 billion Sandy hurricane disaster relief bill that a generous Senate sent to the House last week … see: Washington Post Story

I think that trencherman Christie has grabbed his knife and fork a little too quickly in this case.  This Senate bill is chock-a-block full of unrelated pork (as emergency bills too often are) … and only about $9 billion of this money is really required for emergency relief.  The rest is open for debate … which is precisely what Boehner intended to do.  So now we see that fiscal-conservative Christie is really a RINO big-spender at heart … particularly when the money is coming from the other 49 states. 

Yes, disasters are a little special and this country has slipped into a modus operandi where the federal government makes everyone whole in such cases.  This really is our government assuming the role of a disaster insurance company that extracts no premiums from its clients.  In fact why would anyone buy flood or hurricane insurance when the Feds are just itching to give you money in such cases?  (Full disclosure … I too have received such unexpected largess). 

There really needs to be a set of rational and hard-and-fast rules established to deal with such disasters ... in order to keep our country from really falling off the fiscal cliff.  Or is this too much to ask of our self-serving lazy legislators and our ever-expansive Administration?

2016

The Presidential election is over and Barack Obama has won.  So, what does this mean for the United States over the next four years?  Let me offer a few of my own personal prognostications:

- Iran will have 20+ nuclear weapons. The Unites States (with Israel’s reluctant agreement) will institute a policy of “containment” relative to this threat … much like we did with the USSR during the cold war. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt will either have nukes or be well on their way toward same.

- Joe Biden will take a shot at getting the Democrat nomination for President. This nation’s main-stream media will kill his chances by implying that he is non compos mentis. The Democrat nod will go either to Rahm Emanuel, Chris Christie, or Bill Clinton.

- Two new Supreme Court justices will be confirmed (replacing two other liberal justices), namely Hillary Clinton (with a new hairdo) and Eric Holder.

- The Republicans will nominate an Hispanic for President … and a woman (other than Sarah Palin) for Vice President.

- The U.S. national debt will have topped $20 trillion despite numerous income tax rate increases and all the new taxes imposed under Obamacare.

- The rate of government spending increases will continue apace ... contrary to the early 2013 agreement fashioned under the fiscal-cliff threat.

- Fox News (on cable) will have far outpaced any network news program in terms of audience size and ratings.

- The expansion of Obamacare policies and edicts will have forced all health-care insurance companies out of business.

- An illegal-immigrant amnesty program will have been instituted in 2013. Illegal immigration will commensurately expand dramatically.

- Our nation’s entitlement programs (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Food Stamps, etc.) will not have been reformed.

- The real national unemployment rate will remain stubbornly high ... independent of the reporting-process manipulation at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

- Two new industries will have been nationalized by the Obama regime – the Airline industry and the Health-care Insurance industry (see above).

- General Motors will receive another government bailout of $40 billion +. As a result, Ford Motor will be in an untenable competitive position and may be also forced to take a government bailout.


Sooo ... once again, elections do have consequences ... a lesson still unlearned by the naive U.S. electorate.

Why Christie's a Republican

In his speech to the Republican nominating convention Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, revealed why he is a Republican.  Of course he didn't say it in so many words, but he did reveal a key guiding principle of his life.  He said that his mother told him that, if he had a choice between being loved or being respected, choose being respected (see: Politico Story).  In many ways this mirrors a theme that I have been espousing of late -- Democrats govern with their hearts and Republicans govern with their heads.  And there is no clearer distinction to be drawn between the consequences of these two styles than Christie's success as New Jersey's governor.  He took a state broken by the dewy policies of Democrat Jon Corzine and his many Democratic predecessor governors and, in a few short years, has begun to bring this state back to fiscal solvency.

Clearly not every Democrat eschews logic in their administrative styles, but enough of them prosper by pulling the heart strings of their voters for me to comfortably make this generalization.  Too many Democrats denounce the economic self interest which is fundamental to capitalism as "greed."  Too many Democrats denounce any criticism of Obama's policies as "racism."  Too many Democrats denounce a belief in the traditional family unit  as "homophobia."  Too many Democrats denounce a desire to see people achieve their greatest inborn potential as "slavery."  Too many Democrats denounce right-to-lifers  as "sexists."  Do you see where I am going with this?  Using pejorative labels to silence your critics has been a strategy of those on the left for too many years now.  Listen to Christie ... it's time for Republicans to stop trying to be loved and go for respect instead. 

I actually think Romney gets it.

Playing Defense

Rush Limbaugh spent almost his entire program today discussing how Mitt Romney should respond to all the salacious attacks that the Obama team is currently smearing him with.  Basically Rush's take was that, if you are on defense, you can't be on offense ... you can never move the ball down the field.  You should not respond to such dirty charges as seen in recent Democrat attack ads (such as Romney effectively killed Joe Soptic's wife because Bain Capital ... after Romney was no longer active there ... shut down GST Steel which caused Soptic to lose his job and health insurance ... which was the reason, five years later, that Soptic's wife died of breast cancer) because it just keeps these charges in the news cycle.

Now, I am not a political consultant ... nor do I play one on cable TV.  However, as I remember it, when Bill Clinton was under assault throughout his time on the national stage ... with a wide variety of charges from bimbo eruptions, to perjury charges, to the Whitewater scandal, to Monicagate, etc. etc. ... he responded using his rapid-response team with rabid attacks on his accusers (remember how Ken Starr was vilified?).  This certainly was effectively offensive defense ... and Clinton is generally attributed with being a consummate politician.  And recall what Rahm Emanuel (Obama's former junk-yard dog) has used as his political modus operandi?  "If they bring a knife, you bring a gun."

Would it sully Romney's pristine image if his team was as belligerent as Clinton's was ... or as Obama's is?  Probably ... however, I still do believe that Romney needs to go on offense with a rigorous defense of his reputation ... much like Clinton and his surrogates (James Carville, Paul Begala, Lanny Davis, George Stephanopolous, etc.) did all those twenty years ago.  Unfortunately, Romney seems to have only one surly cur on his side, John Sanunu.  He needs to surround himself with quite a few more offensive defenders ... ones the likes of Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, and Chris Christie.

Queuing Up

Here is a partial list of well-known Republicans (Rush Limbaugh would call them "Establishment Republicans") who are lining up to take their shots at Newt Gingrich:

Ann Coulter

Joe Scarborough (see: The Newt I Knew)

Eliot Abrams

Bob Tyrrell

Bob Dole

Tom DeLay

Matt Drudge

Mark Steyn

Chris Christie

Marco Rubio

Jonah Goldberg

If Gingrich loses in the Florida primary next Tuesday, it may be because of the rotten tomatoes that this group brought to the festivities.

Eeny, Meeny, Miny ...

A commenter on my previous blog suggests that Rick Santorum might make an interesting choice for Vice President once Mitt Romney locks up the Republican nomination for President ... possibly after the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday.  I have previously suggested that Marco Rubio might be the best choice for Veep ... while others have championed Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey.  As a consequence I think it might be worthwhile to investigate the pluses and minuses of each of these possibilities:

Rick Santorum -- Pluses: could solidify the Republican base for the ticket by attracting Evangelicals and social conservatives; appeals to Reagan Democrats with his blue-collar family background; Senate experience; might secure Pennsylvania's electoral votes.  Minuses: his stances on abortions, contraceptives, and gay marriages; no management experience; his last large election loss

Marco Rubio -- Pluses: could appeal to Hispanics due to his heritage; probably would secure Florida's electoral votes; is a tried and true conservative; Senate experience; his physical appearance.  Minuses: might not appeal to Mexican-Americans; still a bit of a political neophyte; no management experience

Chris Christie -- Pluses: knows how to reach across party lines to achieve consensus; strong management experience; avid fiscal conservative; combative style; might bring New Jersey's electoral votes into the Republican column; appeals to independents.  Minuses: his physical appearance; not a social conservative

Moe -- Plus: would be better than Biden

Quote of the Day

Since you probably won't hear this in the Main Stream Media, I thought I would share it with you here.  New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, was commenting on President Obama's reticence to get involved in the Congressional Super Committee's (failed) deliberations to reduce our government's deficit.  This was because Obama thought that this process was doomed from the beginning.  Christie said to The Barry, "What the hell are we paying you for?"  See: Politico's Take


By the bye, CBS News does have some weasel-words on this Christie broadside, but suggests that he might also be directing his comments toward the Super Committee.  See what I mean here: CBS's Take