Marco Rubio Was Flummoxed, Speechless After New Hampshire's #GOPDebate

Heh, I can't stop laughing!

From Hunter Walker, at Yahoo Politics, "Marco Rubio and his team assess the damage from his duel with Chris Christie":

Rubio was speechless moments after the debate, Christie told his advisers https://t.co/8CninXdcqk pic.twitter.com/fEFmvEkrqT

— Jon Ward (@jonward11) February 7, 2016

Who benefits from Christie beating up on Rubio?
JEB BUSH.
Beware the SHADOW MENACE!https://t.co/Q5pOLKDgi4

— Robert Stacy McCain (@rsmccain) February 7, 2016

Rubio blew it tonight https://t.co/CFuKVttwnw

— ColorMeRed (@ColorMeRed) February 7, 2016

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Moments after the Republican debate ended Saturday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie walked over to Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, shook his hand, and offered some customary words of encouragement.

Rubio stared mutely back, looking flummoxed, Christie told close aides moments later, according to one Christie adviser who was in the room.

Christie and his team were buoyant after the New Jersey governor mauled Rubio in a one-on-one face-off in the first half-hour of the debate, repeatedly mocking Rubio for what he called his lack of experience and accomplishments. It was, clearly, a bad night for Rubio. The question now is: Who benefits from the fallout?

Rubio came into the debate with momentum, following a surprisingly strong third-place finish at the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1. But he got in trouble Saturday starting with the very first question that came his way, which was about “readiness to be president.” The senator, who said he was “proud” of his record, then attempted to shift the discussion to President Barack Obama...

Keep reading.

Amber Lee's Super Bowl Sunday Forecast

You've got a high pressure system and some mild Santa Ana conditions.

It's in the low 80s tomorrow and even warmer temperatures expected Monday.

Wow.

CNN Rips Ted Cruz for 'Flat-Out Lie' Blaming Network for Iowa Caucus Dirty Tricks — #GOPDebate (VIDEO)

This is harsh — for the Cruz campaign!

Tom Foreman excoriates Cruz for his "flat-out lie" about the network's Iowa caucus coverage, at the clip below.

At Politico, "CNN rips Cruz as feud escalates":

CNN came out swinging against Ted Cruz Saturday night after the Texas senator once again tried to blame the network for his campaign's use of its report to tell Ben Carson's Iowa Caucus supporters that their candidate was dropping out of the race.

"What Senator Cruz said tonight in the debate is categorically false," a network spokesperson said in a statement. "CNN never corrected its reporting because CNN never had anything to correct. The Cruz campaign's actions the night of the Iowa caucuses had nothing to do with CNN's reporting. The fact that Senator Cruz continues to knowingly mislead the voters about this is astonishing."

Right as the Iowa caucus was beginning, CNN reported that Carson was not flying directly to New Hampshire and would instead fly to Florida for some days off and to get a fresh set of clothes.

Messages sent out to Cruz supporters at the caucuses made it seem as though Carson was suspending his campaign, and urged them to convince Carson supporters to jump to Cruz, who ended up winning the Caucus...

More.

And at CNN, "Ted Cruz is wrong about CNN's reporting." (Via Memeorandum.)

Roadside Memorial to LaVoy Finicum Removed from U.S. 395; Patriots Restore (VIDEO)

Jeez, just let it stay up for a few days.

His funeral was only yesterday.

Following-up from yesterday, "About Two Dozen People Visited LaVoy Finicum Memorial on U.S. 395 Today."

At KOIN News 6 Portland:

WATCH: Chris Christie Pummels Marco Rubio During New Hampshire's Crucial #GOPDebate (VIDEO)

They traded blows, for sure, but Marco Rubio ended up worse for the wear.

Seems to be the consensus, even though Rubio otherwise had a good night.

And I love the headline at Politico, "GOP HUNGER GAMES: Marco Rubio takes the brunt of the blows, as the candidates desperately try to score points ahead of Tuesday’s primary":

MANCHESTER, N.H. — With time running out before the New Hampshire primary, the top Republican rivals desperately tried to land knock-out punches at Saturday night’s debate — and most of them were aiming at Marco Rubio.

Rubio’s adversaries went after the Florida senator from all angles, eager to slow his momentum by portraying him as a lightweight leader whose campaign has been lifted by little more than lofty rhetoric.

Chris Christie led the charge, slamming Rubio for memorizing talking points and for his thin record in the Senate, as he declared that Rubio “simply does not have the experience to be president of the United States.”

Christie urged Republicans not to make the “same mistake we made eight years ago” in electing a first-term senator, Barack Obama. Jeb Bush eagerly joined the Rubio pile-on. “We’ve tried it the old way,” Bush said, echoing Christie’s warning of an Obama repeat act.

When Rubio repeated himself by pivoting three times to the fact that Obama is carrying out his flawed plan for the White House — saying he “knows exactly what he's doing" — Christie pounced. “There it is, the memorized 25-second speech,” Christie declared. “There it is, everybody.”

When Rubio listed some of his Senate accomplishments, Christie hammered him on that, too, in particular Rubio’s backing of a bill cracking down on Hezbollah, and his spotty attendance record for Senate votes. “That’s not leadership,” Christie said. “That’s truancy.”

Rubio tried to hit back at Christie over attendance, only to have it boomerang. The Florida senator pointed that Christie only reluctantly went back to New Jersey for 36 hours during a big snow storm. "That had to shame you into going back,” Rubio said.

Christie shot back — “The shame is, Marco, you would actually criticizes someone for showing up to work."

Keep reading.

PREVIOUSLY: "Explosive Jeb Bush/Donald Trump Exchange on Eminent Domain Sparks Boos at #GOPDebate (VIDEO)."

UPDATE: Linked at iOTW Report. Thanks!

Plus, at the Los Angeles Times, "Fierce exchanges mark Republican debate, as Marco Rubio is hit hard."

Still more, at BuzzFeed, "Under Attack, Marco Rubio Malfunctions — And Repeats the Same Line Four Times."

Explosive Jeb Bush/Donald Trump Exchange on Eminent Domain Sparks Boos at #GOPDebate (VIDEO)

That was something else, no doubt.

At ABC News, "Donald Trump Sparks Boos at GOP Debate."

And at Politico, "Trump shushes Bush, and the crowd boos":

Donald Trump shushed Jeb Bush during a feisty exchange between the two Republican candidates on eminent domain.

Trump was asked a question about eminent domain and he defended it, provoking Bush to interject that Trump used it to build a "limousine parking lot for his casino in Atlantic City."

When Bush moved to interrupt the real estate mogul, Trump raised one finger to his lips.

"Quiet," Trump said to Bush. The audience booed, and Trump said the booing was because of all the wealthy donors in the audience.

"The RNC told us we have all donors in the audience. And the reason they're not loving me is I don't want their money," Trump said, as the crowd continued to boo.

During the exchange he also said eminent domain was important because without it there wouldn't be roads or other essential public works.

"Without eminent domain, you don't have roads, highways, schools or anything. eminent domain is an absolutely necessity for a country," Trump said.

Trump also accused Bush of "trying to be a tough guy," to which Bush responded by asking Trump how "tough" he had to be when, per Bush's accusation, Trump attempted to use eminent domain to seize property from an elderly woman.

Awkward! Candidates Take the Stage at New Hampshire GOP Debate (VIDEO)

Via WMUR News 9 Manchester, "There was some confusion as the Republican presidential candidates took the stage Saturday at the final GOP debate before the New Hampshire primary."

I'll say.

Jeb Bush 'Is Not Far from Third Place' (VIDEO)

Call me skeptical.

If Jeb Bush comes in third on Tuesday I'll take the hot ghost pepper challenge, lol. (I'm not sure if I know where to buy the hot ghost pepper, but I'll worry about it Jebbie comes in third, heh).

At WMUR News 9 Manchester, "Andy Smith of the UNH Survey Center dissects recent poll numbers ahead of the GOP debate."

Smith claims Jeb's got a shot. Well, I did blog Jeb this morning, "Jeb Bush Was Supposed to Be New Face of Conservatism, But GOP Rivals Outpaced Him (VIDEO)."

Maybe Barbara Bush's stump speech will win over a few voters. I'll bet she'll siphon some of John Kasich's supporters, ha!

Pure Evil: Iraqi Migrant Rapes 10-Year-Old Boy at Vienna Pool

When are these European "elites" going to wake up? European law enforcement officials can't keep up with security in the wake of Germany's New Year's Eve rape attacks.

There's going to be continent-wide violence pretty soon. It's going to be a civil war.

At Instapundit, "DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH: Iraqi migrant rapes a 10-year-old boy at a swimming pool in Vienna and tells police it was a ‘sexual emergency’ because he hadn’t had sex in months."

U.S. Air Force Fighter Jets to Patrol Skies Over Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California (VIDEO)

You'll see some of the most aggressive counter-terror security measures ever implemented for a big-ticket event.

Via CNN:

Donald Trump Stays Steady at 21-Points Ahead of Marco Rubio in New Hampshire Tracking Poll

The latest numbers from the UMass Lowell poll out of New Hampshire.

He's back up a little from yesterday, "Donald Trump Holds 19-Points Lead in UMass Lowell Tracking Poll with 3 Days of Post-Iowa Caucus Data."

The 6th release of the @UML_CPO @UMassLowell @7News #NHPrimary tracking poll is here; Sanders +14, Trump +21 https://t.co/8rcR1nQnty

— UML Public Opinion (@UML_CPO) February 6, 2016

Trump 35 Rubio 14 Cruz 13 Kasich 10 Bush 10 Christie 4 Carson 3 Fiorina 3 - @UML_CPO @7News #NHPrimary tracking poll https://t.co/8rcR1nQnty

— UML Public Opinion (@UML_CPO) February 6, 2016

41% of Republican #NHPrimary LVs could still change their mind; 11% of registered Republicans undecided https://t.co/8rcR1nQnty

— UML Public Opinion (@UML_CPO) February 6, 2016

New York Crane Collapse Investigation (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier, "Construction Crane Collapse in Lower Manhattan Kills One Person (VIDEO)."

At CBS News 2 New York:

Temperatures Near 90 Degrees in Southern California

It's ridiculously hot out.

I stepped out to get the newspaper and I thought I was going to boil over.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Winter gone? Temperatures nearing 90 degrees in Southern California with gusty winds."

And Kristen Keogh's got the weekend forecast. Again, who can complain with the Super Bowl tomorrow?

The New Debate Over Socialism (VIDEO)

From this morning's "Cashin' In," on Fox News.

Jonathan Hoenig is especially good, heh.

Watch, "New Debate Over Socialism As Sanders Gains More Young Supporters."

Jeb Bush Was Supposed to Be New Face of Conservatism, But GOP Rivals Outpaced Him (VIDEO)

His campaign's just sad.

It's always been sad. He's been hated from the get-go. Nobody's wanted him. Nobody's wanted a third Bush term. Now the question is how he can bow out without disgracing his family even further?

At the Los Angeles Times, "Fight or flight? In New Hampshire, Jeb Bush's sagging campaign faces reckoning":

When Jeb Bush entered the presidential race, he had a vision of a transformative candidacy that would remake the Republican Party, attracting young people and minorities — especially Latinos — with a vibrant new image based on solid conservative principles.

Now it has come to this: A dismal finish in the Iowa caucuses, a slog through New Hampshire and a growing wish in the party that Bush would step aside or, at least, tone down his campaign so he doesn't hurt someone more likely to win — such as Marco Rubio, who reflects much of what Bush hoped to accomplish when he ran.

It is, he tells audiences, an exciting and joyful experience.

But for others watching, who know Bush and his family personally, or who witnessed his firm command as Florida's two-term governor, the spectacle is sad and disheartening to see. “It bothers people because they believe he deserves better,” said Susan MacManus, who teaches political science at the University of South Florida and has closely followed Bush and his career for decades.

Stepping into a Bush campaign event can seem like a voyage to the past.

The family lineage is evident even without the ritual invocation of his mother — who campaigned alongside Bush in New Hampshire on Thursday night — his father and, sometimes, his oldest brother, both former president. There is the awkward syntax, the preppy manner and, above all, the unfashionable reverence for elected office and the sanctity of the political process.

Noting that businessman Donald Trump has used profanity three times in a recent speech — Bush had obviously counted — he insisted, “Look, I'm no fuddy-duddy. But this should be at least [PG]-rated. I mean, we're running for president of the United States. There are children listening to this stuff!”

The issues he talks about — term limits, a balanced-budget amendment — were moldy when his brother sought the White House 16 years ago and some of his language can sound oddly old-fashioned as he warns against abusing a president's executive powers, “Oh, my goodness gracious!” or throws a session open to questions with an exuberant, “Give me some doozies!”

There is a hopeful Bush scenario in New Hampshire: a strong finish in Tuesday's primary, which sends him roaring into the next contest in South Carolina, where he emerges as the favorite of those in the Republican Party desperate to stop the insurgencies of Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.It seems improbable, however.

New Hampshire rescued Bush's father, then-Vice President George H.W. Bush, after he stumbled in Iowa in 1988. The state tripped up his older brother, the front-running George W. Bush, and almost cost him the GOP nomination to a surging John McCain in 2000.

This time, though, Jeb Bush rests far back among the also-rans, easily overlooked but for the bombardment of TV and radio advertisements savaging Trump and, especially, Florida Sen. Rubio, a former protégé-turned-campaign-nemesis.

The onslaught has angered many Republicans, including lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who see it as gratuitous, hopeless and, worse, potentially damaging to a candidate some have started to see as their best general election candidate after Rubio's strong third-place finish Monday night in Iowa. Bush appears unmoved.

“Guess what? This is not beanbag,” he said when a woman at a Laconia Town Hall meeting complained about the pile of attack mailers she has received from a pro-Bush political action committee, which has spent tens of millions of dollars attacking Rubio. “If you think it's ugly right now, wait till you get to the general election.”

With an edge to his voice, Bush offered this unsolicited advice to Rubio, who has complained about the barrage of negativity: “Get over it, man. This is politics.”

The former governor is 62, older than the 44-year-old Rubio but younger than Trump and both of the two Democrats running for president...

He might have to drop out after Monday night, but perhaps he's a glutton for punishment, or doesn't want to embarrass his family? I don't know. But the sooner he drops out the better --- it's been merciless on those who've had to watch.

PREVIOUSLY: "Stakes Are High in Tonight's GOP Debate."

FLASHBACK: Hillary Clinton Concession Speech After Finishing Third in 2008 Iowa Caucuses

Here's a preview of her Monday night speech coming up, after she loses New Hampshire to Bernie Sanders, lol.

For the life of me this woman can't get a break. In 2008, everyone thought she'd lock down an Iowa win and coast to the nomination. A year ago people were thinking the same thing about 2012.

The voters aren't cooperating with the party elites and the Clinton machine, obviously.

Via the Des Moines Register:

Deal of the Day: Braun 3040 Electric Shaver

At Amazon, Braun Series 3 3040 Wet and Dry Shaver, Electric Men's Razor, Razors, Shavers.

Plus, from E.J. Dionne, Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism, From Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond.

And Matt Lewis, Too Dumb to Fail: How the GOP Betrayed the Reagan Revolution to Win Elections (and How It Can Reclaim Its Conservative Roots), and McKay Coppins, The Wilderness: Deep Inside the Republican Party's Combative, Contentious, Chaotic Quest to Take Back the White House.

BONUS: From Russell Kirk, The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot.

Stakes Are High in Tonight's GOP Debate

Following-up, "GOP Debate Tonight."

At WSJ, "GOP Debate Preview: High Stakes for Candidates Saturday":

The Republican presidential debate night in New Hampshire Saturday will feature the smallest array of candidates yet, but the stakes are higher than ever: For several candidates, this debate could be their swan song.

Among the seven candidates on the stage, there are several for whom a strong showing in New Hampshire is a make-or-break affair. Unlike prior nights, there is no undercard debate.

The line up has been whittled to seven as three candidates have quit the race after poor performances in Iowa — former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Sen. Rick Santorum, and Sen. Rand Paul. Also missing is former Hewlett-Packard chief Carly Fiorina, who was excluded from the stage because she didn’t do well enough in Iowa or recent polls.

For the seven who remain, here is what they need to accomplish in the debate at St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, N.H...

Keep reading.

Behind the scenes of Playboy's First Non-Nude Issue (VIDEO)

Following-up, "Playboy Magazine's First Non-Nude Issue."

Via ABC News Nightline:

GOP Debate Tonight

It's an ABC News debate, co-sponsored by WMUR News 9 Manchester, New Hamphire.



Plus, "WBUR New Hampshire Primary Poll: Trump Leads Nearest Rivals 29-to-12 Percent."