It's unusual when a reporter sympathetic to a politician writes a story that makes his subject look bad. But Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker has now done this twice. The first time was in an article last April on Obama's foreign policy in which he quoted a "top aide" (National Security Adviser Tom Donilon? It sounds like him) saying that the president was "leading from behind" on Libya. Not what most Americans expect their presidents to do. Now, in an article based on leaked White House memos marked up by Obama, Lizza has done it again. Contrarian liberal blogger... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/06/box-checking_obama_in_a_liberal_cocoon_113027.html 200113027 Michael Barone Michael Barone 2012/02 02/06/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:07:45 -0600 "The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there."-- L.P. Hartley, English novelist WASHINGTON -- It must now be obvious that, economically speaking, we're in another country. Things we once took for granted no longer apply; things we never imagined occur all the time. We've entered a zone of ignorance where familiar experience and ideas count for less. "Thirty years ago, if you'd said that the United States and Europe were going to be the centers of financial crises, people would have thought you were crazy," says economist Fred Bergsten.... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/06/the_future_of_the_world_economy__113024.html 200113024 Robert Samuelson Robert Samuelson 2012/02 02/06/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:52:50 -0600 WASHINGTON -- We have seen the world created by the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, and it doesn't work. Oh, yes, it works nicely for the wealthiest and most powerful people in the country, especially if they want to shroud their efforts to influence politics behind shell corporations. It just doesn't happen to work if you think we are a democracy and not a plutocracy. Two years ago, Citizens United tore down a century's worth of law aimed at reducing the amount of corruption in our electoral system. It will go down as one of the most naive decisions ever... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/06/the_citizens_united_catastrophe__113023.html 200113023 E.J. Dionne E.J. Dionne 2012/02 02/06/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:51:21 -0600 Former US congressman Robert Wexler is a man worth listening to. Wexler served as then-senator Barack Obama’s chief booster in the American Jewish community during the 2008 presidential campaign. He appeared everywhere and said anything to convince the American Jewish community that the same man who sat in the church pews listening to Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s anti-Semitic vitriol for two decades, and listed among his closest friends and associates a host of Israel-haters as well as former terrorists, was the greatest friend Israel could ever have. Once Obama was elected,... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/05/us_friends_like_wexler_obama_play_israel_for_the_fool_113030.html 200113030 Caroline Glick Caroline Glick 2012/02 02/05/2012/00/00/00 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 07:29:08 -0600 LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Now it's on to Colorado, Minnesota and Maine. With back-to-back victories fueling him, Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney is looking toward the next states that hold GOP nominating contests as main rival Newt Gingrich brushes aside any talk of abandoning his White House bid — all but ensuring the battle will stretch into the spring if not beyond. Shortly after losing big to Romney here, the former House speaker emphatically renewed his vow to campaign into the party convention in Tampa this summer. His goal, he said, was to "find a series of... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/05/romney_rolls_to_easy_win_in_nevada_gop_caucuses_113029.html 200113029 Kasie Hunt Kasie Hunt 2012/02 02/05/2012/00/00/00 Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:23:56 -0600 123039 Newt Gingrich has an exquisitely sensitive moral antenna, and Mitt Romney's remark suggesting indifference to the poor sent it quivering. "I am fed up with politicians in either party dividing Americans against each other," he said. Yes, he did. Then he fell on the floor and laughed till he cried. For Gingrich to disavow divisiveness is the equivalent of Mark Zuckerberg renouncing modern technology: Without it, we never would have heard of him. Newt has spent his career ceaselessly inventing ways to foment and exploit hatred of one group by another. He's the guy who warned... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/05/the_flaws_of_mitt_and_newt_113022.html 200113022 Steve Chapman Steve Chapman 2012/02 02/05/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:48:22 -0600 There was a discredited president, distrusted by his own party, portrayed by even his fondest allies as a disappointing underachiever. There was an Eastern governor, decorated with breathtaking academic credentials and a star turn in the nonprofit sector, mounting a serious challenge. There was the threat of minor-party candidacies, with charismatic leadership and a core of devoted supporters who could skew the contest. It was perhaps the greatest election in American history. It was exactly a century ago. That year, 1912, stands as a hinge in American history. It was when the Republican... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/05/national_perspective_113021.html 200113021 David Shribman David Shribman 2012/02 02/05/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:47:27 -0600 "I love the hymns," Mitt Romney told a crowd of supporters last week in Hialeah, Fla. "I love the hymns of this nation." As he does in nearly all of his stump speeches, Romney next recited some of his favorite verses of the patriotic song "America the Beautiful." The crowd, which had been boisterous up until that point, was subdued as the former Massachusetts governor extolled the song's unnamed "heroes" who "proved in liberating strife" that "more than self their country loved and mercy more than life." The collective energy... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/04/hit_or_miss_romney_takes_ownership_of_his_speeches_113026.html 200113026 Scott Conroy Scott Conroy 2012/02 02/04/2012/00/00/00 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 12:43:51 -0600 122993 That great phrase was coined by the late Jack Kemp, who believed that growth and opportunity for all is the answer to poverty. In fact, Kemp believed it was the answer to all things economic. And he was right. The best anti-poverty program is the one that creates jobs. The answer to large budget deficits? Grow the economy, create jobs, watch incomes rise, and let the tax revenues come rolling in. Partly from Jack Kemp’s work, and partly from his own experience, Ronald Reagan believed the same thing. He knew that growth is the single best solution for our economic ailments. And... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/04/message_to_mitt_a_rising_tide_lifts_all_boats_113028.html 200113028 Larry Kudlow Larry Kudlow 2012/02 02/04/2012/00/00/00 Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:38:03 -0600 North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler's announcement Thursday that he will not run again in November was hardly surprising -- the three-term Democrat faced a difficult re-election battle after Republicans reshaped his district, and like many incumbents in his position, he saw the writing on the wall. But the timing was unfortunate for Tarheel Democrats hosting their party's presidential nominating convention this summer: In the past few days they've seen Gov. Bev Perdue and Rep. Brad Miller also head for the exits. These impending retirements have provided more fuel for... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/shulers_retirement_highlights_democrats_challenges_in_nc.html 200113020 Caitlin Huey-Burns Caitlin Huey-Burns 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:11:38 -0600 57112 The big news Friday morning was the monthly jobs and unemployment report. The government announced that the economy created about 250,000 new jobs in January -- the biggest increase in nine months -- and that the unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent. Psephologists immediately jumped on the numbers, and there was initially a broad convergence in the commentariat: Both parties agreed this was good news for President Obama and bad news for Republican front-runner Mitt Romney. Republicans have since backed off, and are now pointing to various caveats in the data that suggest it... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/is_january_jobs_report_a_turning_point_for_obama_113019.html 200113019 Sean Trende Sean Trende 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:00:54 -0600 121797 It’s easy to collect Mitt Romney's "rich" remarks into a highlight reel. Have a few laughs. Sure, we ask, what's the guy thinking? We note that presidential races require your A-game. But then it's tempting to shrug. And say he's still on track to win the GOP nomination. That the general election will turn on the economy. Oh, those silly pundits. How they do obsess over every sound bite. But listen to Rush Limbaugh on Romney: “He comes across as the prototypical rich Republican.” And one begins to hear why Romney’s gaffes... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/why_romneys_rich_gaffes_will_cost_him_113014.html 200113014 David Paul Kuhn David Paul Kuhn 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:37:34 -0600 121968 BOSTON (AP) -- During the 2010 special election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, then-candidate Scott Brown vowed to be the "41st" vote against President Barack Obama's sweeping health care overhaul. Two years later, the Republican Massachusetts senator still opposes what he calls "Obamacare" but has found a lot more to love about the Democratic president and his agenda. While many Republican lawmakers have used Obama as the ultimate campaign foil, Brown has touted his bipartisanship as a key asset in his re-election bid as he... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/brown_embraces_obama_as_he_tries_to_blunt_warren_surge_113016.html 200113016 Steve LeBlanc Steve LeBlanc 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:17:13 -0600 122874 After his fourth-place showing in Florida, Ron Paul, by then in Nevada, told supporters he had been advised by friends that he would do better if only he dumped his foreign policy views, which have been derided as isolationism. Not going to do it, said Dr. Paul to cheers. And why should he? Observing developments in U.S. foreign and defense policy, Paul's views seem as far out in front of where America is heading as John McCain's seem to belong to yesterday's Bush-era bellicosity. Consider. In December, the last U.S. troops left Iraq. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta now says... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/ron_paul_reactionary_or_visionary_113008.html 200113008 Pat Buchanan Pat Buchanan 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:32:05 -0600 blacklist (n.): a list of persons who are disapproved of or are to be punished or boycotted. The definition above, from an old Webster's dictionary, was common parlance in the late 1940s and early 1950s as the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee investigated subversive activity, Soviet espionage and pro-communist propaganda. The committee unearthed spies and traitors -- Alger Hiss among them. But when the HUAC turned its attention to Hollywood writers, directors and actors, civil libertarians cried foul. The American Civil Liberties Union and others insist those on the... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/blacklist_113015.html 200113015 Oliver North & Thomas Kilgannon Oliver North & Thomas Kilgannon 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:02:56 -0600 In 1992, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton built his campaign for the White House on doing more for the "forgotten middle class." Calling it the "new covenant" (Democrats since Roosevelt have tried to work the words "new" or "deal" into their campaign slogans), Clinton promised to focus on the people he called "the backbone of the country, the ones who do the work and pay the taxes and send their children off to war." Sound familiar? Here is Mitt Romney, the morning after the Florida primary: "I'm in this race because I care about... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/drop_the_middle_class_talk_113013.html 200113013 Mona Charen Mona Charen 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:33:34 -0600 BRUSSELS -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has a lot on his mind these days, from cutting the defense budget to managing the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. But his biggest worry is the growing possibility that Israel will attack Iran militarily over the next few months. Panetta believes there is strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June -- before Iran enters what Israelis described as a "zone of immunity" to commence building a nuclear bomb. Very soon, the Israelis fear, the Iranians will have enough enriched uranium in deep underground facilities... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/is_israel_preparing_to_attack_iran_113012.html 200113012 David Ignatius David Ignatius 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:32:19 -0600 WASHINGTON -- The granting of Secret Service protection following Mitt Romney's decisive Florida victory did not prevent him from immediately shooting himself in the foot. "I'm not concerned about the very poor," he explained. "My campaign is focused on middle-income Americans." It is problematic for a politician to declare any group of citizens beneath his attention -- either the bottom 1 percent or the top 1 percent. But those in the top 1 percent, at least, can fend for themselves. There are few things more powerful in politics than the confirmation of a... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/the_romney-obama_matchup__113011.html 200113011 Michael Gerson Michael Gerson 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:30:15 -0600 "I don't smoke, and I don't chew, and I don't go out with girls who do." My, how times have changed since kids amused each other with schoolyard doggerel like that one. Tobacco's out, but now nearly everything else is "in." Modern voters no longer pursue clean-living good boys, but good ol' boys with a little sin on their rap sheets. If he is the Republican nominee -- and he took a big step toward a coronation convention in Tampa, Fla., with that solid win in Florida -- Mitt Romney's goody-goody-two-shoes reputation could hurt him worse than... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/romneys_risks_in_clean_living_--_voters_expect_a_little_sin_on_a_rap_sheet_113010.html 200113010 Suzanne Fields Suzanne Fields 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:29:06 -0600 WASHINGTON -- I wish Mitt Romney's cavalier dismissal of poverty in America could be chalked up as just another gaffe, but it's much worse than that. The Republican front-runner seems dangerously clueless about the nation he seeks to lead. When I first heard the now-famous quote -- "I'm not concerned about the very poor" -- I thought it might be fodder for a snarky column about the wee little Mr. Monopoly who lives inside Romney's head and blurts out things like "Corporations are people, my friend," or "I like being able to fire people." But I... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/03/romneys_indifference_to_the_poor_113009.html 200113009 Eugene Robinson Eugene Robinson 2012/02 02/03/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:27:11 -0600 KING: We're live tonight on the College of William and Mary, a historic campus in Williamsburg, Virginia. You see the students behind us here. This school has a new chancellor, Robert Gates. He was the defense secretary, remember, under George W. Bush. He carried over into the Obama administration. He's starting his new job. It's a ceremonial role as the chancellor of this great university. We had an exclusive conversation today. I began by asking him -- and remember he was a key player in the Afghan war strategy -- what he thinks now of this word that is coming out of... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/interviews_with_darrell_issa_bob_mcdonnell_and_robert_gates_113018.html 200113018 John King, USA John King, USA 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:00:33 -0600 9:10 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Please, please, everybody have a seat. Well, good morning, everybody. It is good to be with so many friends united in prayer. And I begin by giving all praise and honor to God for bringing us together here today. I want to thank our co-chairs Mark and Jeff; to my dear friend, the guy who always has my back, Vice President Biden. (Applause.) All the members of Congress –- Joe deserves a hand –- all the members of Congress and my Cabinet who are here today; all the distinguished guests who’ve traveled a long way to be part of... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/obamas_speech_at_the_national_prayer_breakfast_113017.html 200113017 Barack Obama Barack Obama 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:59:38 -0600 Polls out Thursday show Mitt Romney comfortably ahead in three GOP nominating contests this month. Nevada Republicans will caucus on Saturday, and 45 percent of those who say they will participate plan on backing Romney, according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal survey. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich places a distant second with 25 percent of the support. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum garners 11 percent and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who has a strong organization in the state, gets 9 percent. Romney, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, attracts more than 85... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/romney_has_big_leads_in_february_contests_113007.html 200113007 Caitlin Huey-Burns Caitlin Huey-Burns 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:01:31 -0600 122739 Chairman Ryan, Vice Chairman Garrett, Ranking Member Van Hollen, and other members of the Committee, I appreciate this opportunity to discuss my views on the economic outlook, monetary policy, and the challenges facing federal fiscal policymakers. The Economic OutlookOver the past two and a half years, the U.S. economy has been gradually recovering from the recent deep recession. While conditions have certainly improved over this period, the pace of the recovery has been frustratingly slow, particularly from the perspective of the millions of workers who remain unemployed or underemployed.... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/bernankes_testimony_on_the_economy__budget_113003.html 200113003 Ben Bernanke Ben Bernanke 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:04:45 -0600 Florida's Republican primary results may have offered President Obama and his campaign team fresh evidence that gives them pause about the incumbent's chances for a win in November. The list of worries in Florida looks longer than the bright spots for the president at the moment, based on Tuesday's returns, exit polling and interviews with authorities who know the state's politics. Election Day is nine months away, but Obama has reason to fret that he won’t repeat his 2008 victory in the Sunshine State. On his way to the White House, Obama captured 204,577 more... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/is_there_hope_for_obama_in_fla_results_a_sliver_113002.html 200113002 Alexis Simendinger Alexis Simendinger 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:21:38 -0600 122709 TEL AVIV -- Last week in Amman, Jordan, negotiations -- or, rather, discussions about whether to resume negotiations -- between the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority ended. No discernible progress had been made concerning the West Bank, home to approximately 2.3 million Palestinians and about 300,000 Israelis living in towns and cities built by Israel after it seized the territory from Jordan in 1967’s Six Day War. Although continued stalemate is not surprising, it is bad news and reflects the need for another approach. Few Israelis paid attention to the Amman talks. Like most... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/peace_talks_stymied_but_west_bank_progress_can_be_made_112991.html 200112991 Peter Berkowitz Peter Berkowitz 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:17:57 -0600 122616 WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney can argue that winning ugly is still winning, especially in a contest he could not afford to lose. But Romney's decisive victory in Florida came at a price. He aggravated Newt Gingrich's hostility to him, with all the trouble that could entail, and left behind a dispirited Republican electorate in a state the GOP needs to win this fall. At least until now, this primary process has weakened rather than strengthened Romney. It has sowed doubts that he has any understanding of how average people live, and opened up a slew of questions about his personal wealth... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/how_romney_won_and_lost_113000.html 200113000 E.J. Dionne E.J. Dionne 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:58:58 -0600 Mitt Romney's impressive victory Tuesday makes it very likely that we will look back on the Florida primary as the contest that determined the 2012 Republican nomination. To be sure, the campaign fight will go on, and Romney is by no means assured of a sweep of the relatively few February contests. Newt Gingrich has vowed to run all the way to the convention, whatever the odds. He has shown similar determination in the past. He ran and lost twice for Congress before he was first elected in 1978. He saw his party lose seven straight elections for the House before he led it to its first... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/after_big_win_romney_faces_tough_opponents_in_a_long_war_112999.html 200112999 Michael Barone Michael Barone 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:21:48 -0600 Forgive Republican candidate Mitt Romney for his alleged failure to adequately explain why he paid "only" 14 percent of his income in taxes. The honest answer -- "Well, because my accountants couldn't figure out how to get them any lower" -- does not work in this or very many other election years. Romney seemed flat-footed because, like most business people, he seeks to minimize costs and expenses. This includes taxes. A normal wealthy-and-proud-of-it guy would have said: "Let me get this straight, pal. I'm not supposed to take every legal advantage provided... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/democrats_love_taxes_--_they_just_dont_want_to_pay_them_112998.html 200112998 Larry Elder Larry Elder 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:19:56 -0600 Mitt Romney's convincing victory in the Florida primary erased his earlier defeats and perhaps any serious obstacle to his nomination. The question that still troubles party leaders, however, is the damage he will sustain before returning to Tampa in September for their convention. Triumph could cost Romney much more than the million dollars or so that bought each point of his 46-32 margin over Newt Gingrich. Already the former speaker has shaped the plutocratic image of Romney now visible in national polls. A furious, wounded Gingrich could go still further -- demanding, for instance,... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/the_high_cost_of_romneys_scorching_victory_112997.html 200112997 Joe Conason Joe Conason 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:18:55 -0600 Two of the hottest topics on the political circuit are illegal immigration and "Obamacare." They can come together into a third steaming discussion: How the Democrats' Affordable Care Act of 2010 would hasten America's journey toward a more orderly immigration program. As a recent article in Health Affairs predicts, once the health care reforms settle in, undocumented immigrants will become the largest share of the uninsured. As legal residents enjoy universal coverage, those without would be more noticed. (The authors are Stephen Zuckerman, Timothy A. Waidmann and Emily... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/immigration_and_obamacare_join_as_issue_112996.html 200112996 Froma Harrop Froma Harrop 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:18:04 -0600 A few weeks ago, Rick Santorum got some criticism for saying the Supreme Court erred in saying states may not outlaw contraception. The idea that Americans could legally be forbidden to buy condoms or birth control pills struck most people as a gross violation of personal liberty. They are right, of course. But many of those who think it's wrong to forbid Americans to buy contraceptives think it's just fine to require them to buy contraceptives. In this group, unfortunately, are President Barack Obama and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/inoculating_against_religious_freedom_112995.html 200112995 Steve Chapman Steve Chapman 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:45:37 -0600 "Hell is paved with good intentions," George Bernard Shaw wrote, "not bad ones." And Shaw never wrote about the unintended consequences of American campaign finance law or the Florida GOP primary, which provide ample proof that the more good-government types try to regulate money and politics the more convoluted campaign finance becomes. Mitt Romney won 46 percent of the vote in Florida; Newt Gingrich won 32 percent. Campaigns that support Romney outspent pro-Gingrich groups, $15 million versus $4 million. According to Politico, the pro-Romney political action committee... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/why_super_pacs_outspend_candidates_112994.html 200112994 Debra Saunders Debra Saunders 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:15:08 -0600 The group tasked with getting Republicans elected to the House of Representatives -- and keeping them there -- added 10 party members to its incumbent protection program this week, a development that Democrats hailed as a nod from the other side that the lower chamber is in play. The National Republican Congressional Committee now has 30 incumbents enrolled in its Patriot Program, which establishes benchmarks for the most vulnerable incumbents and provides the financial support to help get them there. Democrats need a net gain of 25 seats to reclaim control of the House, and have an ambitious... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/gop_effort_to_aid_at-risk_incumbents_heartens_democrats.html 200112992 Caitlin Huey-Burns Caitlin Huey-Burns 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:07:40 -0600 122626 WASHINGTON -- Two years into the European debt crisis, there was something faintly comical about the headline in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal: "Leaders of Euro Zone Agree on Closer Union." That phrase must be on a program key on computers in Brussels. The eurozone is still an impossibility theorem, in terms of what it promises: A common currency for countries that, whatever they claim at summit meetings about joint fiscal policy, remain resolutely separate and sovereign. It's a matter of deeply rooted culture: Germans aren't ever going to spend like Greeks, and... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/two_cheers_for_the_ecb_president_113001.html 200113001 David Ignatius David Ignatius 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:24:12 -0600 Let's take a break from politics to ask the burning question: How did Karen Santorum and Ann Romney get so lucky? Just who are the happiest wives in America? According to a new report by the University of Virginia's National Marriage Project, "When Baby Makes Three," the surprising answer is: women who attend church at least weekly with their husband and have four or more children. Women like Mrs. Romney and Mrs. Santorum, in other words. This insight is embedded in a larger report whose overall purpose is to find out the factors that lead to happy and successful married... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/02/the_happiest_wives_in_america_112993.html 200112993 Maggie Gallagher Maggie Gallagher 2012/02 02/02/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:14:15 -0600 Four elections into the GOP nominating process, there's a narrative developing about the level of enthusiasm among the electorate. Here's Mike Smithson from London's Telegraph: "The Florida primary overnight has produced the thumping victory for Mitt Romney that the polls were predicting. But what might be worrying GOP strategists is that turnout was down sharply compared to four years ago. Florida will be one of the critical battlegrounds in November and the last thing the party wants is for Republican-inclined voters to be less enthusiastic.” But does low... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/how_much_does_voter_turnout_matter_112990.html 200112990 Sean Trende Sean Trende 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:36:36 -0600 122608 BLITZER: At least, so far, endorsements haven't necessarily made a huge difference in the Republican presidential race, but the remaining candidates would certainly like to have Michele Bachmann's support. The Minnesota congresswoman, former Republican presidential candidate is joining us now from Capitol Hill. Congresswoman, thanks very much for coming in. Are you ready to help one of these final four? REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, (R-MN) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I haven't made a decision about endorsements, yet, I reserve the right to make an endorsement. I may before... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/interview_with_representative_michele_bachmann_113006.html 200113006 The Situation Room The Situation Room 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:07:42 -0600 KING: David Axelrod is the president's senior campaign strategist from 2008 and now in 2012. He joins us from Chicago. David, Governor Romney last night, you have called him a weak front-runner. Would you concede this point, that the Mitt Romney in Florida was a much better, much sharper, much more focused and disciplined candidate than the Mitt Romney in South Carolina? AXELROD: Well, I think he ran a very strong negative campaign down there. He outspent Speaker Gingrich by 5-1. And every single dollar he spent was on negative ads. I think he had one positive radio ad in the Hispanic... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/interview_with_obama_advisor_david_axelrod_113005.html 200113005 John King, USA John King, USA 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:06:56 -0600 James Lee Community CenterFalls Church, Virginia 11:05 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody! (Applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Everybody please have a seat. Have a seat. It is great to be back in Falls Church. (Applause.) Thank you for having me. Last week, in my State of the Union, I laid out my blueprint for an economy that’s built to last. And I want to assure you I am not going to go over the whole thing again this morning. (Laughter.) That was a long speech. I'm not going to repeat the whole thing. (Laughter.) But I do want to... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/obamas_remarks_on_the_housing_assistance_113004.html 200113004 Barack Obama Barack Obama 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:05:53 -0600 On Tuesday, Fox News Channel marked 10 consecutive years as the most-watched cable news network, according to ratings from Nielsen Media Research. Fox, which launched 15 years ago, passed CNN in January 2002. Now, it holds a huge advantage over its competition. In 2011, according to Nielsen, Fox averaged more prime-time viewers than its two closest competitors combined. Fox averaged 1.86 million viewers, while MSNBC averaged 775,000, and CNN had 689,000.  Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), in an interview with Politico, said the network has "always been fair" to... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/fox_news_marks_10_years_at_the_top_112989.html 200112989 RealClearPolitics RealClearPolitics 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:42:38 -0600 Democratic state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici cruised to victory in Oregon's 1st Congressional District special election on Tuesday. She defeated Republican businessman Rob Cornilles, 57 percent to 38 percent, in the mail-in election and will replace former Rep. David Wu, who announced his resignation in July after a sex scandal involving the 18-year-old daughter of one of his campaign contributors. But Bonamici's victory in this very Democratic friendly, Portland-area district -- which President Obama won easily last cycle and where voters haven't sent a Republican to the House in... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/democrat_bonamici_wins_oregon_special_election.html 200112987 Caitlin Huey-Burns Caitlin Huey-Burns 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:28:48 -0600 122376 WASHINGTON -- Almost everyone favors "tax reform" in the abstract: Broaden the tax base by reducing deductions, credits and other tax breaks; and then cut top tax rates. But this sort of sweeping tax reform is usually a political nonstarter, and if you want to understand why, take a look at the tax proposals in President Obama's State of the Union address. His recommendations include: a new corporate tax credit to subsidize moving jobs from abroad back to the United States; a tax credit for companies locating in communities that were "hit hard when a factory left... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/tax_reform_rip_112980.html 200112980 Robert Samuelson Robert Samuelson 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:06:50 -0600 With an election approaching and at least some Americans upset about irresponsible spending, the president has finally expressed a political interest in cutting something. He says the Pentagon will spend "only" $525 billion next year. That's slightly less than the current $531 billion. A cut is good, but this will barely dent the deficit. We could save much more if America assumed a military policy designed for defense rather than policing the world. Presidential candidate Ron Paul gets criticized for advocating that. Paul's opponents, including many of my colleagues,... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/policing_the_world_112981.html 200112981 John Stossel John Stossel 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:27:14 -0600 Sudan and South Sudan's slow yet deadly war of blood for oil reserves has ensnared Africa's slyest empire builder: Communist China. The two Sudans' complex background helps illustrate China's emerging diplomatic quandaries in resource-rich but politically fractured sub-Saharan Africa. In July 2011, South Sudan separated from Sudan. Independence, the result of a legitimate southern plebiscite (guaranteed by the 2005 peace agreement that ended the north-south civil war), left South Sudan with 75 percent of the former united Sudan's oil fields. Southern independence cost... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/chinas_sudan_dilemmas_112983.html 200112983 Austin Bay Austin Bay 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:29:26 -0600 President Obama and his radical feminist enforcers have had it in for Catholic medical providers from the get-go. It's about time all people of faith fought back against this unprecedented encroachment on religious liberty. First, they came for the Catholics. Who's next? This weekend, Catholic bishops informed parishioners of the recent White House edict forcing religious hospitals, schools, charities and other health and social service providers to provide "free" abortifacient pills, sterilizations and contraception on demand in their insurance plans -- even if it... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/obama_vs_the_clergy_112986.html 200112986 Michelle Malkin Michelle Malkin 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:54:05 -0600 TAMPA, Fla. -- On the heels of his resounding victory in the Florida primary on Tuesday, Mitt Romney will now look westward to three upcoming GOP contests in his attempt to effectively wrap up the nomination by the end of February. Though Florida is only the second state he has captured thus far, Romney sounded in his victory speech as if he is already focused on healing intra-party wounds and pivoting toward a general election campaign. “A competitive primary does not divide us, it prepares us,” he said. “And we will win. And when we gather back here in Tampa... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/after_florida_win_romney_aims_for_february_trifecta_112984.html 200112984 Scott Conroy Scott Conroy 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:49:10 -0600 122462 MIAMI -- In the face of a resounding loss to Mitt Romney in Tuesday's Florida primary, a defiant Newt Gingrich vowed to campaign in each of the 46 states left in the Republican nominating contest and predicted he would become the party's standard-bearer this summer. Before he spoke to a crowd of supporters at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Gingrich tweeted, "46 states to go! Donate today and help us defeat Obamneycare," a term borrowed from former candidate (and now Romney supporter) Tim Pawlenty, who used it earlier in the campaign to highlight the similarities... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/01/gingrich_santorum_to_focus_on_romneycare.html 200112985 Erin McPike Erin McPike 2012/02 02/01/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:45:56 -0600 122463 MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thanks, you guys! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you to the people in this room and to the people all over Florida, thank you tonight for this great victory. There are -- there are fewer -- there are fewer candidates tonight than when the race began, but three gentlemen are serious and able competitors and they're still in the race and I want to congratulate them on another hard fought contest in this campaign. Primary contests are not easy. They're not supposed to be, as this primary unfolds, our opponents in the other party... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/01/31/mitt_romneys_florida_victory_speech_112988.html 200112988 Mitt Romney Mitt Romney 2012/01 01/31/2012/00/00/00 Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:19:20 -0600 TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Mitt Romney routed Newt Gingrich in the Florida primary Tuesday night, rebounding from the previous week's defeat with a commanding victory and taking a major step toward the Republican presidential nomination. Despite the one-sided setback, Gingrich vowed to press on. "Thank you FL!" an exuberant Romney tweeted minutes after the race was called. "While we celebrate this victory, we must not forget what this election is really about: defeating Barack Obama." Returns from slightly more than half of Florida's precincts showed Romney with 47... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/01/31/mitt_romney_wins_florida_primary_112982.html 200112982 David Espo David Espo 2012/01 01/31/2012/00/00/00 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:52:25 -0600 122459