TPM Editors’ Blog Opinions, Context & Ideas from TPM Editors
'Did You Miss Me?'
Newt makes it clear that he ain't planning on going nowhere.
Democracy In Action
TPM's Benjy Sarlin was in full-on Alexis de Tocqueville mode today. Check him out.
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Feel The Buzz
Things are picking up in Nevada. Stay with TPM's Livewire for all the latest updates.
Not A Witch
Christine O'Donnell's bookselling magic.
Non-Traditional Newt
Newt announces he won't deliver a post-caucus speech, but will hold a presser instead.
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Convicted
Indiana's Secretary of State has been convicted on multiple vote fraud related felony counts.
You're Fired
Team Romney cans debate coach credited with his Florida turnaround.
Newt Testament
Which Biblical figure does Newt Gingrich most remind you of? Nevada pastor Jim Garlow stakes his ground.
Picture of the Day
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Know Your Base
Herman Cain's fundraising spiked after his sexual harassment allegations.
Here's What To Watch
The unemployment numbers this morning were not only good news for the country. They were unquestionably good news for the President's reelection efforts. A couple years ago, 8% unemployment was often the benchmark people referenced as what the President needed to be secure in his reelection efforts. By the middle of last year, that seemed wildly unrealistic. But now, with the news that the unemployment rate has fallen to 8.3%, we can't rule out the possibility that it will cross the 8% threshold by November.
But here's what to watch.
Read More →Bringing Out The Big Gun
Newt's now challenging Romney to a "Lincoln-Douglas" debate.
Chart of the Day
Why did Obama's numbers tank and then rebound? A great visual that explains it.
8.3%
Economy adds 243k jobs in January. Unemployment rate falls to 8.3%.
Weakest Speaker Of The Modern Era?
In the not too distant past, the worst reputation to have in Washington was as someone who didn't negotiate in good faith, couldn't deliver what he promised, and wasn't a man of his word. Times have changed, of course. Someone like that can now be speaker of the House.
To be clear, John Boehner isn't a lying, cheating, scoundrel. He's merely an incredibly weak speaker with little sway over his own caucus. Here's the latest example of Boehner's weak-kneed leadership.
Relive The Tension
How perfect was it that Donald Trump's endorsement came on Groundhog Day?
Romney on Trump Endorsement: This is Awesome
Mitt Romney ecstatic over Trump endorsement: "There are some things that you just can't imagine happening in your life -- this is one of them. Being in Donald Trump's magnificent hotel and having his endorsement is a delight."
The Virginia Problem
There's talk of a maneuver that could hurt Romney's delegate count in Virginia... but could Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum swallow their political pride for long enough to pull it off?
Insert 'Trump' Pun Here
David Taintor has a recap of just how Donald Trump drove a madcap media narrative today.
Meanwhile, here's Evan McMorris-Santoro on why the Donald's endorsement is something of a poisoned chalice.
Jobs For Bombs?
The GOP suggests a plan for holding off Defense cuts without increasing taxes.
Meanwhile, Sahil Kapur outlines the standoff, and why Dems think they won't be the ones to blink.
Mitt Romney Wins Big In Nevada
Mitt Romney clocked up his second victory in a row Saturday night as he easily took the gold in Nevada's caucuses, leaving his rivals choking on his dust.
Report: Newt’s Main Backer Is Open To Aiding Mitt
Big Newt Gingrich donor and supporter Adelson is open to aiding Mitt Romney in the general election, reports suggest.
Christine O'Donnell's Bookselling Money Magic
Here's a bit of magic from former Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell: her political campaign gave $142,000 to her super PAC, which proceeded to buy copies of her book.
Romney Camp Sacks Heralded Debate Coach
The Romney team has fired the debate coach who had been widely praised for improving Mitt’s performance.
Indiana Sec Of State Convicted Of Voter Fraud
Indiana Secretary of State Charlie White (R) now faces a conviction on six felony charges for voter fraud.
Most Recent Latest news stories from TPM reporters
Newt: I'm Not Going Anywhere, Mitt
LAS VEGAS, NV -- Newt Gingrich called an unorthodox post-caucus press conference Saturday night to assure the press that not only was he in the race for the long haul, but that he had only begun to go negative against Mitt Romney. "I am a candidate for president of the United States, I will be a candidate for president of the United States, we will go to Tampa," he said, referring to the site of the 2012 Republican convention. He blamed the Romney team for leaking rumors of a withdrawal to the press...Romney Wins Big In Nevada
LAS VEGAS, NV -- Mitt Romney clocked up his second victory in a row Saturday night as he easily took the gold in Nevada's caucuses, leaving his rivals choking on his dust. Romney's win is a nice boost for him as he heads into the next round of contests in Colorado and Minnesota, which vote on Tuesday. Missouri will also vote, but its results don't count towards the delegate race and Gingrich is not on the ballot. The former Massachusetts governor was expected to win big here given the large Mormon...Christine O'Donnell's Bookselling Money Magic
She may, famously, not be a witch, but here's a bit of money magic from former Delaware Republican Senate candidate and recent Mitt Romney endorser Christine O'Donnell: her political campaign gave $142,000 to her super PAC, which proceeded to buy copies of her book. Federal Election Commission reports filed by her campaign and super PAC this week show that the money her campaign gave to her super PAC represents just under 62 percent of the $229,985 the PAC took in during 2011. $19,912.30 of that money...Can Last Minute Appeals Sway Voters' Minds?
LAS VEGAS, NV -- On a sunny early morning, Nevada voters gathered in a Durango High School gym on Saturday to hear their friends and neighbors make the case for their favored Republican. About a dozen precincts, each with about fifteen to twenty voters, assembled in the bleachers. Many, like Bryan Bagwell, a golf course superintendent, brought their whole families and young children scampered around throughout the proceedings. Bagwell arrived not knowing who he would vote for, torn between his head...Dems Catch A Break In Wisconsin Recall Signatures Lawsuit
An appeals court in Wisconsin on Friday ordered a judge in conservative Waukesha County to vacate his ruling and rehear the arguments of a lawsuit filed by the state Republicans about the procedures for counting signatures in the recall effort. The big issue: That the judge had refused to allow Democratic recall organizers to get involved in the case and make arguments. This means that Democrats are getting another bite at the apple on this matter -- depending on the outcome of the additionalWisconsin...Today On The Trail: February 4, 2012
Today is caucus day in Nevada. Here are ten things you need to know today. Nevada votes: Republicans in Nevada will actually cast ballots today in their statewide caucuses. The individual caucuses have different meeting times, but most start at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, and GOP officials told the Las Vegas Sun that meetings could be done within 20 to 30 minutes. But despite the early start time, results don't start coming in until around 5 p.m. Eastern, with tallies from Clark county, home of Las Vegas,Sun:Sun...Newt Condemns Mudslinging From The Pulpit -- Then Bashes Romney
LAS VEGAS, NV -- As even the pastor enthusiastically introducing him at the International Church of Las Vegas on Friday noted, Newt Gingrich has always had a rocky relationship between his faith and his actions. The ex-Speaker's address to the congregation was no different, featuring a moralizing denunciation of negative campaigning only hours after leveling most brutal attack yet against rival Mitt Romney. Gingrich, who began his address by calling all the children in the audience to stand with him on...A Handy Guide To The Nevada Caucuses
After a week of spirited campaigning and, despite conflicting reports, exactly one Donald Trump endorsement, the candidates are ready to face the voters in Nevada on Saturday. Here's everything you need to know going into the caucus. Nevada's Pretty New To This Whole 'Caucus' Business Being a caucus rather than a primary there's no early or absentee voting. Nor can one just casually stop by a polling place while casually strolling to the craps table. You can only vote in-person after listening to...Day In 100 Seconds: The Numbers Game
The consensus across cable news was that today was a good day. A great day. The best of days! Some encouraging job statistics came out this morning which even caused some anchors on Fox to accept that the President can claim his proposals are creating jobs. Watch it now, because you may never see it again... The numbers were also good news of sorts for the GOP candidates lining up for their latest vote this Saturday. This certainly took the focus of TV crews off statements regarding not caring...Is Komen's Planned Parenthood Reversal For Real?
Though Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced a reversal of its decision to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood, the language of the statement suggests the foundation could still refuse to fund the women's health care provider in the future. After a two-day hailstorm of criticism -- during which Planned Parenthood raised $3 million, according to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America -- Komen announced on Friday that it would abandon a plan to cut off grant funding for breast cancer screenings at ...GOP Rep Michael Grimm: I'd Be 'Very Stupid' To Take Cash Near FBI Building
House Speaker John Boehner said Friday that he was "not familiar with the details" of the unfolding campaign finance scandal involving Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY). Let's bring him up to speed. The New York Times reported this week that Grimm worked closely with Ofer Biton (a top aide to the orthodox Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto) back in 2009 to recruit the rabbi's followers to donate to Grimm's campaign. Together, they collected more than $500,000 for his campaign, helping convince Republican leaders Grimm ...Schumer: GOP Has Lost Its Obstructionist Mojo
Does the Senate's passage of the STOCK bill suggest the Republicans have lost their obstructionist mojo? Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) seems to think so. The third-ranked Senate Democrat made the taunt hours before the chamber's overwhelming 96-3 approval of the President Obama-backed STOCK Act Thursday, which aims to crack down on congressional insider trading. He accused GOP lawmakers of inelegantly dragging their feet on STOCK as well as the payroll tax cut in an effort to sink the measures. "Haven't...Antarctica's 19-Mile Ice Crack Will Produce New York-Sized Iceberg
The Big Apple is about to get some competition down south. A New York City-sized iceberg will eventually split off of Antarctica as a result of a 19-mile long crack on a glacier on the Western part of the world's southernmost continent, according to NASA. The crack was first observed up-close on the Pine Island Glacier in mid-October 2011 by NASA scientists working on Antarctica, the agency explained. Later in November, NASA's Terra AM satellite -- the same one that reportedly suffered "interference" ...CHART: Herman Cain Fundraising Spiked After Sexual Harassment Allegations
Turns out the media firestorm over charges that former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain sexually harassed women was pretty good for the Cain campaign's bottom line. A TPM analysis of campaign finance data filed with the Federal Election Commission this week confirms the Cain campaign's assertion that their fundraising got a boost after Politico first reported that the National Restaurant Association reached two sexual harassment settlements with women who accused Cain of inappropriate...Newt Pulls Out All The Plugs On Anti-Romney Rhetoric
LAS VEGAS, NV -- After using the Occupy Wall Street playbook to attack Mitt Romney last month, Newt Gingrich is cribbing from the Tea Party's anti-Obama files, identifying his rival as yet another co-conspirator in a vast leftist plot to destroy capitalism itself. Not a great sign for those Republican strategists who hope Romney's Florida victory will quickly unite the party. Addressing fired up supporters in a cowboy-themed Vegas bar on Friday, Gingrich offered a new depiction of Romney as a tool of...Arizona Power Plant Goes Green With AREVA Solar Thermal Project
A coal-fired electrical plant in Tucson, Ariz., is going green -- or at least "greener" -- partnering with a French, state-owned nuclear company to install a solar add-on that will generate enough clean electricity to power 600 homes using high-pressure, superheated steam warmed by a series of mirrors. The new solar project is expected to begin construction in Spring 2012 and to be up and running at the current H. Wilson Sundt Generating Station in Tucson by 2013, according to a news release from plant...Obama's Speech At Arlington Firefighter Station
In his State of the Union address, President Obama found a metaphor for how he wanted the country to pull together: they should work like team of the navy seals who killed Osama Bin Laden - all individuals but all together, with each playing his part. Today he was in Arlington, Virginia, pushing a similar message but this time with firefighters instead of troops and his remarks caught the attention of the cable nets. Here are the highlights:Brewer Distances Herself From Arizona's Anti-Union Bills
Gov. Jan Brewer distanced herself on Friday from a series of Republican proposals in the Arizona Senate that could devastate organized labor in her state, saying she was never consulted on them and has other priorities. The popular Republican had remained silent on the matter since the bills were introduced on Monday, but her chief spokesman began talking to the media after it became clear the union proposals stood to drown out everything the governor wanted to see happen during the legislative session. ...FBI Investigating 'Illegally Obtained' Conference Call On Anonymous Probe
The FBI is investigating how the hacktivist group Anonymous got wind of an international law enforcement conference call they ran on their criminal investigation into the group, audio of which was posted online this week. "The information obtained on the call was intended for law enforcement only. It was illegally obtained and a FBI criminal investigation is underway," an FBI spokesman said in a statement to TPM. The conference call evidently took place on Jan. 17 and involved discussions of ongoing...Komen Reverses Position On Planned Parenthood, Pledges To Continue Funding
The Susan G. Komen foundation announced that it will reverse its decision to cut funding for Planned Parenthood, apologizing for "recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives." The statement calls the backlash over the decision to cut the funding "unsettling," and says that the organization will "amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political." "We will continue to fund existing ...Editor & Publisher
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