They're All Team Romney (Sort of)

And you thought we were done hearing from these guys.


Even when he drops out of a race, he has to do it his way. The former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will soon be the former Republican presidential candidate- when he drops out next week.
Exactly what is the point in announcing that you will drop out in a week? How is that different from dropping out now?
When you are Newt, these things just happen. He claims it is because they are working out the details of his endorsement of Mitt Romney. Again, what is the point in announcing you are working out your endorsement, when obviously you will be endorsing?
Oh Newt, we might actually miss some of your antics. Or not.

In the meantime, someone who did not have to announce a week in advance that he would be endorsing Romney, former Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry is no longer Team Gingrich (now that Gingrich will be Team Romney (eventually)).
Here’s the full Perry statement:

“Mitt Romney has earned the Republican presidential nomination through hard-work, a strong organization, and disciplined message of restoring America after nearly four years of failed job-killing policies from President Obama and his administration. So today I join the many conservative Republicans across the nation in endorsing Mitt Romney for President and pledge to him, my constituents and the Republican Party that I will continue to work hard to help defeat President Obama. American jobs, economic stability and national security depend on electing a new president. Mitt’s vision and record of private sector success will put America back on the path of job creation, economic opportunity and limited government.”

He could have just said, "He beat the rest of us, and this is what good Republicans do who ever want to have a political future in the party," and that would have sufficed. 

Speaking of which, former Utah Governor and former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, Jr., apparently doesn't want a career in the GOP. 

In a recent speech to the Harvard Kennedy School he said, "The party is not in a good place right now, given its recent rhetoric on immigration." (Source: The Crimson) Comments like that don't go over well when a few folks are still annoyed over a comment he made in March to MSNBC. "I think we’re going to have problems politically until we get some sort of third party movement or some voice out there that can put forth new ideas. We might not win, but we can certainly influence the debate."

Silly me for thinking that a nominee emerging from the pack would mean we wouldn't have to hear from the other guys anymore. I guess everyone had to get one last word in!

Day 2 Campaign Life

Sunday, Day 2
Campaign life doesn't stop just because it is Sunday, especially with a week left to the state primary. It was another busy crazy day in the HQ. The phone never stopped ringing. I would guess we had over 500-600 phone calls from 1pm-8pm. There are a lot of very supportive and happy people calling to just say they are on our side. And there are a lot of angry people calling to complain about the automated calls they are getting. I don't blame them. Nobody likes getting them. But that doesn't give them the right or reason to say the incredibly nasty things they will say at times. But the good phone calls make up for it.
An interesting story is unfolding in the office. A woman named Ruth is suddenly finding herself in an unexpected spotlight with her story popping up all across the national political news. On Wednesday she was praying for help to make ends meet financially. She was driving her car, pulled over and said a prayer, and then saw the Romney campaign bus, and followed it. She met Governor Romney, told him her story, about being unemployed, a mentally handicapped son, raising her grandchild, and more. He reached into his wallet and gave her what cash he had on him. Another campaign staffer spoke with her, and paid her electric bill for her. Since then she has come by the office a few times to help out and give back. She came by today to say hello, tell us how grateful she is, and that the media keeps calling her. She told us that one major outlet will be sending a limo to take her out tomorrow. To do what? She did not know. But she promised to come back and tell us what happened. Her story is truly legit, and she's truly humble and kind. I hope she's able to find work and help soon.
The big news today came in at 10pm just as we were wrapping up in the office. We found out via Twitter that Jon Huntsman will be dropping out of the race tomorrow, and will be endorsing Mitt. (Gotta love when Twitter breaks news!)
It is always interesting how quickly candidates flip from attacking each other to endorsing each other. This is just another perfect example of it. Last week in the NH debates and the Meet the Press debate, Huntsman came after Romney with both barrels blazing. Sometimes it can be easy to forget we are all on the same side, and that primary campaigns should not be a grown up version of "Lord of the Flies." Huntsman was an aggressive opponent, but never threw mud. However, there are times when it feels like Gingrich has gone completely primal and isn't throwing mud, and has resorted to throwing feces.
Why Huntsman would drop out this close to Saturday is a matter I can barely speak to. It was suggested by someone on Twitter that getting out now and endorsing Mitt would help him lock up a cabinet position if Mitt wins overall. It was only a matter of minutes before the other volunteers in the office started speculating about Huntsman as a Secretary of State. (Let it be known loud and clear- no one in that conversation has any clout or pull over such decisions.) Huntsman definitely has the credentials for a SecState position, but the idea that an LDS president would also have an LDS SecState is pretty far fetched. I can't see it happening.
The polls are still projecting a Romney win on Saturday. But we do see how close Gingrich in on our heels. It is only a 4-7 point lead, and that means we have to work hard this week! I'm excited for the loads of volunteers to show up this week!

Who you want to win in NH and why!

Let's take one last look at New Hampshire before the fun starts tonight.
Here are the polls that were discussed yesterday-

Click on image to enlarge. Source: Real Clear Politics

It really helps to take a look at the graph and history of changes when looking forward right now. Understanding momentum and bandwagons is important this week. Santorum, who had no following at all in Iowa previously, came in second thanks to a serendipitous bandwagon. But this week it appears to be Huntsman with the loud and rowdy bandwagon. Everybody jump in! Let's see where this will take us! So here's what you need to know depending on who your horse in the race is-

Romney Supporters-
If you support Romney, you can rest easy that he is highly likely to win New Hampshire. But you need to be looking forward to South Carolina and Florida, where he is leading, but not confidently enough. Santorum is gaining in SC, so a Romney fan really wants to see Santorum in third, fourth, or fifth place tonight. (Sixth place is locked up by Perry.) Romney fans really want to see Gingrich in fifth place as well. Why? It will kill any buzz Santorum and Gingrich may have, and dry up their fundraising, if they do poorly in NH. Ron Paul doesn't have much support in SC, so he isn't a real threat there.
The ideal results tonight for a Romney fan would be 1. Romney, 2. Paul, 3. Huntsman, 4/5 Gingrich Santorum.

Paul Supporters-
Only ever want to see Ron Paul win. But looking deeper into it, a Ron Paul path to success tonight would be tthe same as the Romney path. They want to see Huntsman take third, and be able to build on his momentum in SC. That would take the wind out of the Gingrich and Santorum sails. Huntsman has little chance of really gaining too much in SC. But it would open the way for Paul to again make it to second place in SC. (He's currently a distant fourth.)

Gingrich Supporters-
Tonight is all about making it to second place. A third place "victory" isn't going to help or hurt. But in politics if it isn't helping, it is hurting. With Huntsman, Gingrich, and Santorum neck and neck (and neck) right now, third place really is up for grabs. But the momentum (there has got to be another word for this other than momentum) isn't in Gingrich's favor. Fourth place would be a disaster, and fifth place the ultimate disaster. The only good outcome tonight would be second place. Third is okay, but not great.

Santorum Supporters-
Tonight is the real test. Everyone ran like lemmings to vote for Santorum in Iowa, and then actually stopped to hear him speak at the debates this week. I don't think people liked what they heard. They voted and then gave him a chance. It will be really interesting to see if people liked what they heard when they started paying attention. If he doesn't get third place tonight, he will absolutely have to take first or second in South Carolina. (He's currently in second, threatening a weak first place Romney.) But expect the lemmings to jump ship and run to whoever takes second place in New Hampshire tonight. Depending on how much money he has in the war chest (or in his case, what may only be a piggy bank) he should make it on to Florida regardless of how poorly he does in SC. The real question is whether or not he can survive past that. If he performs well tonight, he survives pass Florida. Otherwise? Highly doubtful.

Huntsman Supporters-
All both of you out there have done a great job timing his peak in New Hampshire. Huntsman is the one to watch tonight, no question about it. He is a real threat for third place. But thanks to his great showing in the debates over the weekend, and a lot of extra media attention, he has a real shot of riding this wave to a peak tonight. He could quite possibly take second place. And if he does, that changes everything for everybody. First, all of the Mormon Romney supporters will have to reevaluate which bandwagon they want seats on. Second, it means more money for him, less for everyone else. He's in last place in SC, but only a tiny 1 point behind Perry. If he can take second tonight, and gain in popularity over the next 10 days, (which he likely would) he becomes a serious threat in SC. I don't know why Gingrich and Santorum are out there beating up on Romney this week. They should be attacking Huntsman, because he is the one that they have to beat.

Perry Supporters-
Don't exist.

Ron Paul supporters are their own worst enemies

Ron Paul at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in June 2011, Source: E McBride

Ron Paul supporters are known for two things- excellent social media grassroots mobilization, and being their own worst enemies.
Look at any social networking site and you can find Ron Paul supporters sharing extremist views (which often don't align with the views of their candidate) and a lot of very negative rhetoric. The antics of the supporters make it difficult for less vile people to take Ron Paul very seriously.
Case in point-
Someone has created an absolutely horrible and offensive "ad" attacking Jon Huntsman's adopted daughters. (That is the link to it, but I will not embed it.) Attacking a candidate is one thing. But attacking his daughters? Unacceptable. I wouldn't be mad if someone attacked "Jon's Girls," his older daughters that have made videos themselves. They have chosen to put themselves out there in the public forum, and are of adult age. But his little adopted daughters? It takes a sick and twisted person to go there.
The ad originated with a group called New Hampshire Liberty 4 Ron Paul. They are not an official organization affiliated with the real campaign. But that is what happens when you decide to go the grassroots method for promoting your campaign.
Naturally, the Paulies are screaming and shouting how "they" didn't make this ad, and are calling it a conspiracy by other campaigns and the "liberal media" to shut down Ron Paul. Hello! New Hampshire Liberty 4 Ron Paul has claimed it and owned up to it! How about instead of making Paulies look even stupider you put the pressure on yourselves and your mates to take the high road?
Now sure, maybe some other evil doer wanted to take down both Huntsman and Paul at the same time by making the video and accrediting it to a Paulie. That is somewhat, almost plausible- if you are the kind of person who thinks everything is a conspiracy theory to take down Ron Paul. And the only people who think that way tend to be Paulies.

Mormon v. Mormon (it's only funny when Mormons make the Mormon jokes)

This perfect cartoon will run in the Sunday, Jan 8, 2012 Salt Lake Tribune.


Jon Huntsman, Jr. picked up a noteworthy endorsement from the Boston Globe this past week. Mormon #2 must feel pretty smug about picking up an endorsement from the major paper from the state Mormon #1 governed.

"So let me get this straight, the paper from your home state endorsed me? That's so funny."

"Yeah, you're still losing."

But then there is this-

Romney is winning (by a landslide) in polls in Huntsman's home state.

(To be fair, I have googled, searched, and even tweeted the campaign directly to get the source of that poll. I cannot find any polls out of Utah since July.)

Oh and then there is also this-

and this-

But good for Jon Jr for picking up an endorsement from one of the most liberal newspapers* in the country. That should help you get one or two more Republicans to like you.

*From the former editor of the Boston Globe, Renee Loth, "The Globe has a long and proud tradition of being a progressive institution, especially on social issues. We are pro-choice; we're against the death penalty; we're for gay rights. But if people read us carefully, they will find that on a whole series of other issues, we are not knee-jerk. We're for charter schools; we're for any number of business-backed tax breaks. We are a lot more nuanced and subtle than that liberal stereotype does justice to."

Bachmann, Huntsman, and Santorum will not be on the Virginia Primary Ballot

Looks like Newt Gingrich will be on the ballot in Virginia after all. But the ballot will be missing a few other names, specifically Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, Jr., and Rick Santorum. The three campaigns failed to make the 5 pm filing deadline Thursday with the Virginia State Board of Elections, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Can I say what we are all thinking anyway? Did anyone really expect those 3 campaigns to still be in the race come March? 
Mitt Romney was the first GOP candidate to turn in his names. On Tuesday, none other than the Virginia Lt Governover Bill Boling himself, filed the necessary paperwork. Romney submitted 16,026 signatures, (hey, I got about 100 of those signatures for him!), Ron Paul 14,361; Rick Perry 11,911 and Newt Gingrich 11,050. Each candidate had to turn in at least 10,000 signatures, with at least 400 from each of the 11 Congressional districts.
Next, all of the signatures must get quickly vetted over the weekend. For reasons not explained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the VA GOP decided that candidates who submit at least 15,000 signatures of registered voters with at least 600 signatures from each of the 11 districts will be deemed to have met the qualifications. Why this is more than the requirements laid out by the State Board is what I don't understand.
The parties have until Tuesday at 5 p.m. to tell the State Board of Elections which candidates qualify for the March 6 primary ballot. The order of names will be decided by lottery on Wednesday.
Sidenote- when I went to the VA GOP homepage to try and find some info on why the change in numbers, I discovered that today Newt Gingrich was their guest speaker for a brunch. That probably does make it a little easier to get the signatures of registered voters turned in on time!

Let's Talk Debates!

Fox News 2012 GOP Debate, Linked to Source: ABC News

I watch the debates so you don't have to!
Here's what you missed by watching "Bones" last night (Was it good? I haven't seen it yet! No spoilers!)
I could really tell this was hosted by Fox News. The candidates were hit from the right about their conservative positions. For instance, abortion and right to life were made an issue, as was gun control. These haven't been issues in this campaign at all, so it was surprising to hear how much time was spent on those subjects.

"MOM! He keeps interrupting me!" "Am not! "Are too!" (linked to source)

Apparently Michele Bachmann ate her Wheaties yesterday, and came out fighting. At several different points it felt like it was Bachmann v. Everyone Else. She reminded me of an angry Yorkshire Terrier, barking and nipping at Newt Gingrich's heels. She also had a very memorable heated exchange with Ron Paul on foreign policy. She flat out said she had "never heard a more dangerous answer" than Paul's positions on Iran. (Which is to say, he doesn't think they have a nuke.)

"My name is Ron Paul, and until we open free trade with Iran, I won't be able to find a suit that fits." (linked to source)

Ron Paul doesn't back down in a fight, which is amusing considering his pacifist position on other issues. He really spent sometime standing up for his positions on Iran. "Why are we flying a drone over Iran?" He apparently thinks Iran sings kumbaya at night and prays for our peace.
I can finally sum up how he feels about Iran and Israel. "Our neighbor have guns, so we don't need to worry that we'll get attacked." (My words, not his.) His most memorable quote of the night was, "I don't want to run the world. I don't want to police individual activities or people's lifestyle, and I don't want to run the economy." Strange talk for a man running for the most powerful position in the world. It doesn't matter if anyone thinks he won or lost, because his supporters will think it was all rigged anyway.
In other news, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Khamenei endorse Ron Paul. He finally gets some big name, national endorsements!

"My name is Mitt Romney, and I wear better ties than you!" (linked to source)

Mitt Romney was Mitt Romney last night. In many ways it was his night to lose, and I don't think he lost. But I don't think he "won" either. My favorite quote for him last night was, "Timidity and weakness invite aggression on the part of other people. This is a president, the spy drone being brought down, he says 'pretty please'? A foreign policy based on pretty please? You got to be kidding."
When attacked (by the moderators, and then Santorum) about his changing positions, his response essentially sounded like, "I used to favor flip-flopping, but now I'm against it."

Tim Tebow 'tebowing' (linked to source)

Rick Perry- what do I say there? I think he will gain a fan or two. It was definitely his best debate so far. But probably too little, too late. Calling himself the Tim Tebow of politics was pretty funny. Other than that, he wasn't all that notable or quotable. He did suggest that we should limit Supreme Court terms. That was sort of interesting.

Latest Dispatch from the Huntsman Campaign

This afternoon, Governor Huntsman is participating in a Lincoln-Douglas style debate in New Hampshire with Newt Gingrich.  We fully expect Governor Huntsman to demonstrate that he is the candidate voters can trust to lead in this substantive format that moves beyond sound bite politics.
Please visit our website to watch the live stream of the debate at 4 PM ET. C-SPAN is also broadcasting the debate at 8 PM ET.  Please forward this email to your friends, family members and co-workers and encourage them to watch as well.
With less than a month until the New Hampshire primary, we’re ramping up our efforts on the ground in New Hampshire. This morning we released our New Hampshire statewide leadership team that includes nearly 140 community leaders representing all 10 New Hampshire counties and 90 towns.
Every day enthusiasm grows in New Hampshire as we spread Governor Huntsman’s message of consistent, conservative leadership.  Please tune in this afternoon or tonight and help us spread the word.
Sincerely,
Matt David
Campaign Manager

Comparing the Candidates' Platforms

GOP Candidates at the CNN Debate, Source: NY Times (linked)

I decided to spend an evening comparing the different platforms of each of the GOP Candidates. I should have known better than to be as surprised as I was at the complete and total similarities between their stances on the issues. I thought a chart would really make it clear who is different and who is the same on certain policies. You'll note I left out Herman Cain. I'm assuming he will be dropping out of the race today anyway, but even if he doesn't, you'll recall yesterday I decided "anybody but Cain" was my stance. He doesn't get to be on my chart!

I made this chart. Any mistakes made were unintentional. All data gathered from candidates' websites.

Ron Paul definitely goes his own way on a few of his own personal initiatives. But other than that, and everyone's differing views on China, nearly all of their platforms are identical.
It is very interesting to note that Mitt Romney's platform is absolutely by far the most elaborate and well laid out. Hundreds of pages on job and tax reform plans. And I do mean HUNDREDS of pages! In comparison, I distinctly left Santorum off of my chart, because his official website doesn't have his platform listed (beyond being pro-life).
I strongly suspect that many of the blank spots above are probably also similar. I limited myself to what information I could find specifically on the candidate's websites, and not in news articles. (I like to hear it straight from the horse's mouth.) So for all I know Ron Paul could be for expediting fracking, but since I didn't find it on his official site, I don't have it checked here. Same with creating an oil partnership with Canada- Huntsman has it well laid out, but no one else does. Although, again, I suspect everyone but Ron Paul is in favor of it.
I do recall hearing in a debate that everyone had very different opinions on relations with China. However, only Gingrich and Romney mention it on their websites, and they are on opposite ends of the spectrum. It is significant to note that this is the only strong difference between the two men. Well, that and the fact that Gingrich's plan for reforms is to "ask the public" what they want changed and how they would change it, as his first act as president. Whereas, Romney has volumes of information on not just what he would change, but how he would change it.

Letters from the Candidates

Within hours of Herman Cain announcing that he is 'reassessing' his candidacy, my inbox lit up with emails from the different campaigns.

Here are some clips (paraphrased only when specifically stated) and direct quotes from the candidates themselves.

Jon Huntsman Jr
Subject line: Romney, Gingrich in Sight

Good news! The latest New Hampshire poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports has our campaign rising to 11% among likely voters. It wasn’t too long ago that this same poll had Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain and Rick Perry ahead of us; now they are in our rear-view mirror.
This confirms what we’ve been seeing in our townhalls and events across the state: voters are responding to our positive message of bold solutions and consistent, conservative leadership. From Washington to Wall Street, we need to restore trust in our nation’s institutions of power. Just this week, in fact, I became the only candidate to unveil a sweeping financial reform plan to end “Too-Big-To-Fail” and protect taxpayers from future bailouts.
With this rise in polls, we need new funding...

Newt Gingrich
Subject: A Different Kind of Campaign
Bold and italics added by me

It is truly a blessing to witness the intelligence and perseverance of the American people as I travel our great nation. The people who are standing with this campaign have rejected reality TV politics, and they hunger for the kind of nuanced debate worthy of our national history. Our team set out to create the most substantive campaign in modern history, and we have succeeded. The depth of the details outlined in the 21st Century Contract With America appeal to an electorate ready for an honest discussion on the challenges we face. I am grateful that you have chosen to engage in that discussion, because the problems we face are so challenging that I am going to need your support long after we win this election.

This is a critical moment for our campaign, as voting starts in less than five weeks and, to secure the nomination, we need the resources necessary for a robust get-out-the-vote effort. As always, I pledge that every penny contributed to this campaign will be used to advance an honest campaign that the American people can be proud of. There will be no :30 attack ads against my friends who are also seeking the Republican nomination; I will focus my criticism on President Obama. Will you help this historic campaign secure the nomination by making a generous contribution today?

That is one interesting and gutsy promise he is making there. Let's hold him to that, shall we? No attack ads against other GOP candidates. 

Rick Perry  Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Subject: Secure the Border in Just One Year

They call me America’s Toughest Sheriff. I don’t tolerate illegal activity. I don’t coddle criminals. And I refuse to sit idly by while Washington turns a blind eye towards illegal immigration and border security.
As Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, I know that our porous southern border puts all of America at risk. It’s time we had a president who knew that, too.
That’s why I support Rick Perry for president, and I hope you will join me.
Unlike other candidates, Rick Perry has never been the choice of the political establishment, never been a paid lobbyist and never served in Congress or an Administration.  He is the true outsider… the right man to bring desperately needed change to Washington.
No candidate has done more to secure the border than Rick Perry. As governor, he directed nearly $400 million in state tax dollars to secure the border with more boots on the ground.
As president, Rick Perry will stop illegal immigration and drug smugglers with a massive increase in manpower, including National Guard troops and thousands of new Border Patrol agents.
He will deploy new technology like predator drones, order federal officials to build more strategic fencing and end the dangerous Obama catch-and-release policy that allows thousands of illegal aliens to be released on American streets.
With Rick Perry as president, we can secure the border in just one year.
If you agree that America needs a president with the courage to stand up to the status quo in Washington, and a commitment to keeping America safe, I hope you will join me in supporting Rick Perry for president.

For some reason this letter really fails to impress me. First, I think it is just that saying Rick Perry, who failed to secure the border in Texas, will be able to secure it as President. Second, a sheriff? That's the best they could do? Sure, he's a famous sheriff, but that's not necessarily a good thing. He's just a sheriff. We're talking the next leader of the entire United States, one of the most powerful men in the world, who makes a significant impact on history, and will be known around the world for generations, and their big gun is a sheriff? (Disclaimer- I do support border patrol and law enforcement.) At least they didn't also use the expression "generous donation."

Michele Bachmann
Subject: Consistent

The race for president is constantly changing. Every day the liberal media reports a different front runner, a new breaking story in the race, and new positions from each candidate. There is only one consistent conservative in this race.
The other candidates can talk the talk, but I am the only one who is actually “walking the walk." I am not in politics for my personal benefit — I am a public servant because I know and believe Americans deserve better. I am the only candidate who has been fighting on the front lines since the day President Obama took office.
I am the only true conservative running for President. In order to run a winning campaign and reach millions of Americans in every corner of our nation to spread our campaign’s message of constitutional conservatism, I need your immediate support. Please follow this secure link to make a donation of $25, $35, $50 or more.
There is no question that this election will decide the future of our nation. America needs to change its course, and this election could be our last hope to do just that. We have an opportunity to elect a strong candidate who will enact our conservative values in Washington. We cannot afford a candidate who will flip-flop on the issues and say one thing but do another.
Last week I was honored by the supporting words of my friend, Glenn Beck, when he announced on the air that he would vote for me in a presidential primary.
"There is somebody I think that is exceptional and truly comes the closest to embodying the spirit of Lincoln or Washington in this field. And I believe that it is Michele Bachmann."
Your involvement is absolutely crucial to my ability to win. I need trusted supporters like you to help me raise the money needed to reach out to voters across Iowa...

I'll be honest, if this letter had said "help me raise the money to win Iowa so that I will still be in the race when Virginia votes" I'd send in money. I don't care about voters in Iowa. I find most of them corrupt and ignorant to the needs of the rest of the United States. I care about Virginia. So no, Michele, I will not send you more money to spend on TV ads in Iowa. 

I am signed up for emails from all of the campaigns, but this is all I've received since the Cain announcement.
Also, for the record, I kept the fonts the same as the emails. Michele Bachmann's really did come across that small. 

I read the news so you don't have to

Welcome to another edition of "I read the news, so you don't have to!" Thanksgiving weekend is a fairly slow political news weekend, while the candidates let their staffs get some sleep, and the candidates pose for family photos. Or if you are President Obama you can catch up on college basketball.

Categorized by candidate, here are a few headlines-

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich spent Thanksgiving defending his stance on immigration. Apparently the crazy old man actually thinks we should let families stay together. An ironic position for a Republican to take on the weekend we celebrate a bunch of Europeans immigrating to a new land for a better life. He told a group in immigrant heavy and friendly Florida, "I am not for amnesty for 11 million people. I’m actually not for amnesty for anyone. I’m not for a path to citizenship for any people who are out here illegally. But I am for a path to legality for those people whose ties run so deeply in America that it would truly be a tragedy to try and rip their family apart." (Source: CNN)
He also added, "I think the vast majority [of illegal immigrants] will go home and should go home and then should reapply. I do not think anybody should be eligible for citizenship. I am suggesting a certification of legality with no right to vote and no right to become an American citizen unless they go home and apply through the regular procedures back home and get in line behind everybody else who has obeyed the law and stayed back there." (Source: MSN)

Former mathematician, minister, radio talk show host, and pizza aficianado Herman "the Hermanator" Cain, was the subject of a profile piece by MSNBC but otherwise stayed out of the limelight. Warning- reading this piece gives away all the spoilers in Mr. Cain's autobiography. He's American, he's black, and he's (mostly) conservative.

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann can be found attacking Gingrich on immigration. She called him <gasp> a "liberal" that supports amnesty for illegal aliens. She cited a letter, co-signed by Gingrich and 14 other conservatives and published in the Wall Street Journal in 2004, offering support for President George W. Bush’s proposal at the time for a guest-worker program. (For an updated point of view from Mr. Gingrich please see approximately 10 lines up.)
Because Mr. Gingrich has clearly changed (or do we consider this a more educated or clarified opinion?) his position on amnesty, I present him with this lovely golden flipflop award. Wear it proudly, Mr. Former Speaker.

Rick Santorum could not be found in any new national news stories. Sorry Mr. Santorum.

Rick Perry could be found in a few stories, but nothing that was actually interesting. The Des Moines Register did let us know that the Gov. Perry released a Thanksgiving web video. It is worth noting that Perry is trailing the front-runner (Gingrich this week) in Iowa by over 16 points, according to the latest polls.  And in case you were curious, in a national election, Obama would beat Perry by about 9%.

Jon Huntsman also failed to make the national news, but apparently he did speak to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Or as the Manchester Union Leader reported it the "New Hampshire House or Representatives." Maybe they were just confused. 

Texas Congressman Ron Paul was also not to be found making any national headlines this weekend. But since I have been criticized for not covering Mr. Paul enough, here's a few facts about him. According to polls conducted by reputable national organizations, he is currently polling at his highest ever in Iowa at 13% (that is 9% behind the front runner, and puts him in 4th place. In national polls he is bringing his 8%, which is 15.8% behind the front runner, and at 5th place. He's not faring much better in New Hampshire or South Carolina either. However, if you take polls conducted among Christian home-schoolers in Iowa, he's in first place. (No, seriously.)

Which brings us to former Governor Mitt Romney. Romney was found in headlines all over the place thanks to the unhappiness from his first TV spot. Now before you go calling me biased for Mitt, let's review a few things. I, like so many others, absolutely agree that his TV spot was wrong, and he took Obama's quote on the economy completely out of context. I'm a little disappointed in straight arrow Mitt for that one. So let's see how his team is spinning and defending this foul ball.
In Slate.com we read, " The Romney campaign could have cared less."We want to engage the president," explained Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom in the spin room. "We look at him as our rival. It's all deliberate; it was all very intentional..." Romney adviser Ron Kaufman, an RNC committee member and longtime operative, simply said that the ad "worked."
Politico quoted Romney campaign strategist Stuart Stevens as saying, "It is now my goal for every ad we make to so upset the White House that they will force [White House Press Secretary Jay Carney] to go out with his light saber and do his thing." He also pointed out that Democrats have been more than willing to target his candidate in harsh terms. “These guys have attacked Romney in one form or another hundreds — yes, hundreds — of times over just the last few weeks,” Stevens said. “Everyone from multi-millionaire investment banker and brother to Ari, Rahm, to Wesley Clark to the legions of interns they have tweeting away as if they are trying to write Moby Dick by tweet every week.
The Washington Post story title even read, "Romney ad misleads its way to desired result." 
I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed in the Romney camp for intentionally misleading anyone (even if this ad only ran in a small media buy in New Hampshire). Isn't it just a little too soon for the smoke screens and mirrors? I expected a cleaner campaign from you, Governor. I get why you did it, I just wish you hadn't.