Obama Appoints Open Borders Radical Cecilia Muñoz as Top White House Domestic Policy Advisor

She's a progressive La Raza racist.

At The Blaze, "Former La Raza VP Named White House Domestic Policy Director."

And from Aaron Klein, "Look who Obama’s new czar is tied to… Cecilia Munoz previously worked with infamous list":

Prior to her appointment yesterday as the next director of President Obama’s Domestic Policy Council, longtime immigration reform advocate Cecilia Muñoz served on the board of George Soros’ Open Society Institute.

Muñoz also chaired the board of directors of the Center for Community Change, or CCC, a Soros-funded community organizing initiative whose board boasts activists from ACORN, MoveOn.org as well as other notorious radical groups.

Muñoz is currently serving as the head of the White House office of intergovernmental affairs. She most recently worked for the National Council of la Raza, an open-borders group that lobbies for mass immigration and amnesty for illegal aliens.

The official White House statement announcing her new appointment yesterday noted Muñoz’s previous work for both the CCC and Soros’ Institute.

“Ms. Muñoz is the former Chair of the Board of Center for Community Change, and served on the U.S. Programs Board of the Open Society Institute,” the statement read.

“Over the past three years, Cecilia has been a trusted advisor who has demonstrated sound judgment day in and day out,” Obama in the press release. “Cecilia has done an extraordinary job working on behalf of middle class families, and I’m confident she’ll bring the same unwavering dedication to her new position.”

Muñoz’s new duties will include coordinating the policy-making process and supervise the execution of domestic policy in the White House.

While the White House release documented Muñoz’s work for the CCC, the statement did not further define the CCC, which recruits and trains activists to spearhead “political issue campaigns” while advocating for more citizen involvement in community organizations.

And at Knuckledraggin':

And La Raza is involved in actively seeking reconquista. That and flat-out open borders, among other things.

I swear to God above, that fucking socialist son of a bitch isn't happy just letting them in, now he wants to give our Nation to the Mexicans and let them turn it into the shithole Mexico is.

VIDEO HAT TIP: Verum Serum, "Obama Appoints Longtime Amnesty Proponent as Head of Domestic Policy."

Republican Fundraising Recovers Under Reince Priebus

I donate to candidates not parties, but if the RNC Chairman is picking up the pace after Michael Steele's disastrous term, more power to him.

From Kim Strassel, at Wall Street Journal, "The GOP: Back in the Money Game."

Massachusetts Moderate Mitt Romney

Oh boy, this ad is just pounds on Romney mercilessly. Pure brutality, via Pundette:

Woman Calls Police Alleging Drug Dealer Stiffed Her With Fake Crack Cocaine

No doubt she's a pro-decriminalization Democrat.

At KTLA 5 Los Angeles, "Woman Calls 911 After Dealer Sells Her Sugar Instead of Crack."

Demi Lovato at People's Choice Awards

Well, it looks like her post-meltdown recovery is coming along quite well.

At London's Daily Mail, "Here comes young Hollywood! Vanessa Hudgens and Demi Lovato don slinky gowns as they lead the glamour at People's Choice Awards."

North Koreans Sent to Labor Camps for Not Crying Enough Over Death of 'Dear Leader'

Seriously.

At London's Daily Mail, "Punished for not crying: Thousands of North Koreans face labour camps for not being upset enough about death of Kim Jong-il."

Outrage Over Video of Marines Urinating on Taliban Corpses

Look, I was only being slightly sarcastic yesterday. While I don't care one way or the other about jarheads despoiling Talilban dead, there's a wider war to be won and events like this make victory that much harder. Worst of all is giving the antiwar commie-progressives a cudgel to hammer home their anti-American talking points. So, yeah, the public relations backlash is probably well deserved, at New York Times, "Video Inflames a Delicate Moment for U.S. in Afghanistan."

More at Telegraph UK, "US defence secretary Leon Panetta condemns 'utterly deplorable' behaviour of US Marine 'urination' video."

And see the contrasting opinions, at Outside the Beltway, "Marines Piss on Taliban Dead: Understanding War Crimes," and Black Five, "The Nature of Warriors...":

Wars and battle are ugly things. The very insides of the dark side of humanity and the razor thin margins of how close we come to being animals when we fight our enemies rises to the very top for all to see. It is not pretty and it is not polite. When you fight an enemy that prefers death to surrender and straps bombs to little children and records it for posterity to blast out all over the world wide web, you need to start fighting a little fire with fire.

RTWT.

U.S. Deploys Additional Troops and Warships to Persian Gulf

At Los Angeles Times, "U.S. boosts its military presence in Persian Gulf":

The Pentagon quietly shifted combat troops and warships to the Middle East after the top American commander in the region warned that he needed additional forces to deal with Iran and other potential threats, U.S. officials said.

Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, who heads U.S. Central Command, won White House approval for the deployments late last year after talks with the government in Baghdad broke down over keeping U.S. troops in Iraq, but the extent of the Pentagon moves is only now becoming clear.

Officials said Thursday that the deployments are not meant to suggest a buildup to war, but rather are intended as a quick-reaction and contingency force in case a military crisis erupts in the standoff with Tehran over its suspected nuclear weapons program.

The Pentagon has stationed nearly 15,000 troops in Kuwait, including a small contingent already there. The new deployments include two Army infantry brigades and a helicopter unit, a substantial increase in combat power after nearly a decade in which Kuwait chiefly served as a staging area for supplies and personnel heading to Iraq.

The Pentagon also has decided to keep two aircraft carriers and their strike groups in the region.

Continue reading.

California Legislative Analyst Says Not Enough Rich People to Fund State's Bloated Government

At some point you just run out of obscene 1 percenters people to rape and plunder.

At Los Angeles Times, "Tax hikes won't stop school cuts, California budget advisor says."

Even if the Governor Brown's confiscatory ballot initiative passes, Mac Tayler, the Legislative Analyst, warns that:

...state revenue will become increasingly unpredictable if government relies more on tax receipts from high earners, whose income can fluctuate dramatically. That reliance would grow under Brown's tax plan.

"Already, California's budget is dependent on volatile income tax payments by the state's wealthiest individuals, and the governor proposes that these Californians pay more for the next few years," Taylor's report said. "As has become evident in recent years, differing fortunes for these upper-income taxpayers can create or eliminate billions of dollars of projected state revenues."

'I Just Wanted to Tell You How Much I Enjoyed Your Class Last Semester'

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

'So Lonely'

From yesterday morning's drive time, at The Sound L.A.:

9:02 - Shattered by The Rolling Stones

9:06 - 30 Days In The Hole by Humble Pie

9:17 - Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

9:21 - Rebel Yell by Billy Idol

9:27 - Tiny Dancer by Elton John

9:33 - Point Of Know Return by Kansas

9:36 - So Lonely by Police

9:49 - Breathe by Pink Floyd

9:52 - Goodbye Stranger by Supertramp

9:58 - Run Through The Jungle

Florida Man Charged With Plotting Terror Campaign in Name of Islam

The main story's at New York Times.

And see also Bare Naked Islam, "Once again, terror-linked CAIR accuses FBI of entrapment for the arrest of a Muslim man who was preparing to blow up Americans."

Also at Jihad Watch, "Florida jihad suspect brawled with Christians, warned on YouTube to convert to Islam "before it is too late',"  and Pamela's, "All-American Muslim Arrested in Florida in Massive Night Club Bomb Plot: 'We all have to die, so why not die the Islamic way?'"

Religion of peace.

Smokin' Sarah Palin Interview on Sean Hannity's Show

See Big Government, "BREAKING: Palin Urges Romney to Release Tax Returns, Provide Proof of 100,000 Jobs Created at Bain Capital," and at Gateway Pundit, "It’s On… Sarah Palin Rips Michelle Obama’s Defense of Her Husband (Video)."

Pathetic Far-Left Protests Against Guantánamo Bay on 10th Anniversary of U.S. Military Prison

At Los Angeles Times, "Hundreds protest on 10th anniversary of Guantanamo prison."

And the coverage at commumnist Amy Goodman's Democracy Now!:

Americans Feeling Better About Economy, but Not About Obama

At IBD, "Independents Sour On Obama Despite Better Economy":

Americans are feeling better about the economy, but they aren't giving President Obama credit as he seeks re-election, according to the latest IBD/TIPP survey.

The Economic Optimism Index shot up 11% in January to 47.5, still below the neutral 50 level but the fifth straight monthly gain and the best reading since February 2011.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Leadership Index fell 3.3% to 46.7, little changed over the last several months despite less gloomy views on the economy.

Most ominously for Obama, the president's leadership rating fell 9.7% among independents to 41.7. They disapproved of his job performance by 52%-39% in January vs. 46%-44% in December.

Obama will find it very difficult to win in November without substantial support from this key voting bloc. He won them 52%-44% over GOP candidate John McCain in 2008. The IBD/TIPP poll shows that 40% of independents think Obama deserves a second term while 52% prefer a "different candidate." The re-elect numbers across all voters are 45%-49%.

January's economic bounce may reflect typical "New Year hopes," says Raghavan Mayur, president of TIPP, a unit of TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, IBD's polling partner.

However, recent data suggest that the U.S. economy is gradually firming, including manufacturing and jobs. It's unclear though if that can continue with Europe falling into recession and global growth slowing significantly.

Continue reading.

Romney Defends Comments on 'Politics of Envy'

At TPM, "Romney Slams Foes For Practicing ‘Politics of Envy’."

I agree with Romney: These attacks aren't going to work.

See also the essay from NYU Journalism Professor Joe Peyronnin, at Huffington Post, "Romney: The Politics of Envy."

L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy Strikes Homeless Woman in Bus Confrontation

At NBC 4 Los Angeles, "Woman in Bus Video Threatened Violence: 911 Caller."

You can see something's about to happen:

Also at Los Angeles Times, "Baca says deputy who struck woman in video may need retraining":

 Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca says the sheriff's deputy who was captured on video striking a woman on a Metro bus will be held accountable for his actions, but stopped short of saying he should be disciplined.

"If the individual deputy who swung an elbow at the lady is looking at that as a sensible solution, we need to retrain that individual," he told Ed Mertz of KNX-AM (1070) in an interview Wednesday.

In the video, a female deputy holds the woman from behind while her partner appears to deliver a sweeping blow to the left side of her face. It's unclear whether he strikes her with his fist or right forearm.

The man who recorded the video told NBC-TV Channel 4 that the woman was polite and friendly toward the other passengers as she boarded the bus. He said she started cursing at the deputies when they asked her to get off.

Authorities said the deputies boarded the bus in Bellflower on Monday night after somebody called 911 to report an out-of-control woman.
Deputies knew the woman and were aware that she had four prior convictions for assaulting a police officer, said sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore.

Apartheid in the Middle East: Arab Discrimination Against the Palestinians

Via Gary Fouse:

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Resurrects Tucson Tragedy Blood Libel to Smear Tea Party While Calling for More Civility

You can't make this stuff up.

And it needs to be said again: Progressives are really bad people. From the DNC Chair on down, there is no sense of decency on the left.

At Washington Examiner, "DNC chair blames Tea Party for Tucson shooting."

And at Michelle's, "Femme-a-gogue Debbie Wasserman Schultz smears Tea Party, exploits Tucson massacre anniversary."

How dare her. How dare her.

After a year of unhinged Tea Party-bashing and false accusations from New Tone Democrats, the DNC and DWS have done nothing to tone down their own poisonous, hypocritical vitriol.

“Tone things down?” Practice what you preach, trash mouth.

Word.

Can Mitt Romney Be Beat?

Well,what do you know? Larry Sabato has a video crystal ball!

And he's both super edifying and entertaining. I like it!

Obama's Scary Postmodern Vision

From Victor Davis Hanson, at National Review, "Obama's Postmodern Vision."

Video Appears to Show U.S. Marines Pissing on Dead Taliban

Well, it's not as if support for the Afghan war was bottoming out, or anything. I'm sure the mission could use a few goofball jarheads to whip it out for the cameras and send the progressives clamoring for some kind of "war crimes" tribunal, or something.

At ABC News, "US Marines Allegedly Urinate on Taliban Corpses."

Plus, from USA Today, "Video allegedly shows Marines urinating on dead Taliban." And at London's Daily Mail, "Marine Corps probe after video emerges showing American troops 'urinating on dead Afghan bodies'."

There's a YouTube clip here. And also at LiveLeak here.

South Africa University Stampede

A woman was killed.

At New York Times, "Fatal Stampede in South Africa Points Up University Crisis."

NewsBusted: 'President Obama's recess appointments'

Via Theo Spark:

Doomsday Clock Edges Closer to Midnight

These people jumped the shark years ago.

Nuclear proliferation is one thing, but when we're closer to doomsday because of the epic meltdown of the global warming "consensus," it's time to pull the plug on this show. What a freakin' joke. And these people are scientists.

At Christian Science Monitor, "Doomsday Clock suggests world is worse, not better."

Mitt Romney New Hampshire Victory Speech

A pretty good preview of a general election stump speech.

PREVIOUSLY: "Mitt Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary."

Santorum's Iowa Surge Deflates in New Hampshire

At National Journal:

As Rick Santorum left Iowa, after battling Mitt Romney to a draw, he spoke hopefully of the time he had invested in New Hampshire, of the 30 campaign trips he had made to the state, and how he hoped to surprise folks in its storied primary.

But Santorum’s wings wobbled in the less-favorable climate of New Hampshire. With voters tuning in, and ready to give him a listen, he failed to convey the stirring message of national revival that he offered in his Iowa victory speech.

In the end, the former Pennsylvania senator failed in New Hampshire to achieve his own stated standard of success: “To show that we are the strong conservative alternative.”

Santorum’s unbending promotion of traditional values, which appealed to evangelical voters in Iowa, was out of place in the famously independent, more libertarian, state with the motto "Live Free or Die."

The lingering image of his campaign in New Hampshire is that of him being jeered by an audience of young people during a testy exchange over gay rights and marriage. It seemed to confirm the media portrayal of Santorum as a polarizing figure in Congress, and something of a scold.

Video of Santorum's New Hampshire speech is here.

Jon Huntsman Should Quit

I can't imagine him doing better in South Carolina, but Huntsman's pledged to take the race to the Palmetto State.

At Los Angeles Times, "Huntsman, projected to finish third, says onward to South Carolina." And at National Journal, "Huntsman Surged — But Not Enough":

In the end, Jon Huntsman’s long-awaited surge came too late. After a double-digit gain in the polls, the former Utah governor finished a disappointing third and staggered to less-familiar turf in South Carolina in hopes of saving his campaign. “We’re in the hunt,” he told supporters.

Huntsman gambled his candidacy on New Hampshire, spending almost all of his time and money in the Granite State. He now has few resources—and not much more hope—in South Carolina. Putting a positive spin on the New Hampshire results, the candidate told his supporters on primary night, “I say third place is a ticket to ride!”

Huntsman believed the state’s moderate, independent streak was a good match for his bipartisan resume. But despite moving his headquarters there from Florida in September, the White House hopeful struggled to gain traction until last week. In one of two strong debate performances, Huntsman belittled front-runner Mitt Romney for criticizing his service as U.S. ambassador to China in President Obama’s administration. Crowds at his events had also begun to swell, and he began airing his first official ads of the campaign.

Channeling that momentum to South Carolina, however, could be difficult. He’s visited the state only about 10 times, according to Richard Quinn, his Palmetto State consultant. By contrast, he held roughly 160 public events in New Hampshire, which he turned into his adopted home state in the months before the primary. His infrequent visits raise questions about the quality of the organization that awaits Huntsman when he arrives—he has only four staffers in the state.

More at that link.

I'm still kind of dumbfounded by this man's campaign. What was he thinking? He was going to pull another John McCain in the Granite State? Highly circumspect, to say the least. Anyways, if he drops out now and endorses Mitt he might still have a chance for a choice appointment in a Romney administration. What else is there for him, really?

Newt Gingrich Looks to Revive Foundering Campaign

Well, he just peaked three weeks too soon. I doubt we'll see much of a revival at this point, as noted previously.

From the Los Angeles Times:

It was a significant fall for the former House speaker, whose candidacy surged in November. Polls had him in second or third place in the state for much of November and December.

GOP Campaign Heads to South Carolina

From Byron York, at Washington Examiner, "Attacks on Romney now shift to South Carolina."

And at Telegraph UK, "US election 2012: Mitt Romney hopes support 'carries on to South Carolina'":

Meeting voters at a polling station in Manchester, the front-runner in the New Hampshire primary Mitt Romney said he expects "good support around the country," as he moves to to take a step closer to the Republican presidential nomination.

The former governor of neighbouring Massachusetts, who carries a sizeable lead in polls, was campaigning at the same polling station visited earlier by Republican candidate New Gingrich.

As supporters chanted, "Go Mitt Go," Mr Romney is fighting to ride out last-minute attacks labelling him a corporate raider who enjoyed firing workers.

"You see the exciting people behind me talking about winning this one and hopefully that kind of spirit carries on to South Carolina next," he said.

Mr Romney, 63, would be the first Republican who is not an incumbent president to win the first two early voting states, after his slim eight-vote victory over former Pennsylvania Senator Santorum a week ago in the Iowa caucuses.

A more resounding win would provide momentum going into South Carolina on January 21 and Florida on January 31.

Also, at Wall Street Journal, "Conservatives Target South Carolina":

FLORENCE, S.C.—With the New Hampshire primary behind them, conservative challengers for the Republican presidential nomination are descending on South Carolina, which they see as their best chance to halt lead candidate Mitt Romney's momentum.

South Carolina, the third major vote of the primary season, has picked the eventual GOP nominee in every primary since 1980. It also has a reputation for gloves-off campaigning, as faltering candidates target the front-runner.

Mr. Romney holds the lead in polls here, but he faces a much tougher race than he did in New Hampshire. He will have to win over a majority of GOP voters who are sympathetic to the tea-party cause and who strongly oppose the health-care plan he championed in Massachusetts. He also will have to overcome mistrust among evangelicals who are skeptical of his positions on abortion and gay marriage, and view his Mormon faith with suspicion.

Such doubts about Mr. Romney—who finished fourth in the 2008 primary here—are giving hope to his opponents. "In South Carolina, Mitt Romney seems to be everybody's second choice," said Danielle Vinson, chair of the political-science department at Furman University in Greenville. It's "very feasible" that Mr. Romney could be upset by a conservative on Jan. 21, she said, but only if one can emerge from the pack in coming days.

My sense is that Romney's momentum is nearly insurmountable by now --- and it's difficult to see a new frontrunner emerging at this point. Who's it going to be? Ron Paul? He's been running in the top three so far, but folks keep saying there's no way he'll win the nomination. And New Gingrich? The former Speaker was hovering around 10 percent with about half the precincts counted in New Hampshire last night? Will the much-heralded huge flow of Super PAC money effectively resuscitate his campaign? We'll see, but I'm not holding my breath. Romney leads Gingrich in both South Carolina and Florida. Gingrich can hang on if he places second in both states, but anything less than that will mean a failure to take the lead or runner-up spot in any of the first four contests of the year. I can't imagine his big money backers bankrolling a shaky campaign much longer than that. Besides, as Gallup reported yesterday, "Mitt Romney is the now the only candidate that a majority of conservative and moderate/liberal Republicans nationwide see as an acceptable GOP nominee for president."

So, on to South Carolina.

 PREVIOUSLY: "Mitt Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary."

Israel MK Anastassia Michaeli Suspended From the Knesset

She's out for a month.

At Jerusalem Post, "MK Michaeli suspended from Knesset for a month." Also at YNET, "MK Michaeli suspended for one month."

Israeli leftist Ami Kaufman wastes no time in issuing a denunciation: "WATCH: Right wing MK pours water on Arab MK."

Mitt Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary

CNN and Fox News are project Mitt Romney as the winner in New Hampshire. [Added 6:23pm: More from CNN.]

Updates forthcoming... [All times Pacific Standard Time.]

5:13pm: At New York Times, "Romney Wins G.O.P. Primary, Projections Show."

5:24pm: CNN's projecting Ron Paul as second place winner and Jon Huntsman in third. Mitt Romney's about to make his victory announcement.

5:32pm: At Los Angeles Times, "Romney gets easy win in first primary."

5:49pm: From AP, "Romney wins in NH, Ron Paul runs second" (via Memeorandum). And at Wall Street Journal, "Romney Wins New Hampshire Primary":

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, giving him significant momentum as he seeks to consolidate his claim to the Republican presidential nomination in coming weeks.

Mr. Romney had been expected to win the contest, since he was governor of neighboring Massachusetts and invested substantial time and money in the campaign. But his capture of about 36% of the vote in early returns, along with a narrow victory last week in Iowa, will make it harder for his rivals to slow his momentum.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was coming in a solid second with 25%, while former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who bet his campaign on a strong performance in New Hampshire, was running third with 17%.

The campaign moves next to South Carolina, whose Jan. 21 primary could provide the last chance for another GOP hopeful to emerge as the chief conservative challenger to Mr. Romney.

The story of the campaign so far has been the inability of any of Mr. Romney's rivals to cement that role, leaving Mr. Romney as the front-runner even without being widely embraced by Republican voters.

That may create pressure on former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Gov. Rick Perry or former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum to drop out before the South Carolina primary, so conservative voters there can coalesce around a single individual.

6:08pm: The Other McCain is blogging: "NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY HQ UPDATE: Romney Wins; Ron Paul Second; Huntsman Third; Gingrich, Santorum Fight for Fourth Place."

6:10pm: Some video from New Hampshire is becoming available:

Reforms Seek Transformation at California's Community Colleges

At the Los Angeles Times, "Community College Makeover":

Until a few years ago, just about any Californian could attend a community college, and many did. The colleges offered a wide variety of options: They conferred two-year associate's degrees; prepared students for junior-year transfer to a four-year college; provided vocational training and certification; offered remedial courses for high school grads who lacked college skills; taught English to immigrants and enrichment courses to the elderly; offered recreational classes; provided college-level education — and credits — for ambitious high school students; and were the leading source of lifelong learning and career retraining for the state's adults.

But at this point, open access to higher education in California is more theoretical than real. Budget cuts have drastically reduced course offerings, making it extremely difficult for students to reach their educational goals. In 2009-10, nearly 140,000 entering students couldn't get into any classes because they had low priority in the registration system. Large numbers of students who are already attending community college are routinely shut out of courses they need to graduate or transfer. At the same time, other students meander through courses year after year, racking up far more credits than they need and taking up seats in classrooms. Many eventually drop out or never move out of the system at all. People who take courses for personal enrichment similarly fill classes that are needed by those aiming for degrees or specific training.

Bravo to the many Californians who value and seek out some form of higher education. But with the state no longer able to provide for all of them, a state task force is calling for sweeping changes. Some of the recommendations would use public dollars more efficiently while providing students fairer access. Others go too far, threatening to turn the colleges into certificate-production machines rather than true institutions of higher learning.

Continue reading.

The reform initiative is here: "California Community Colleges Student Success Task Force."

This was just sent out by my college Superintendent-President's office, and I haven't yet read all the proposals. It's a program for rationing educational opportunity at the community colleges, which sounds harsh. But as it is, there's so much waste and abuse in the system I can't say this isn't a step in the right direction. But I'll have more after I look over some of the materials. California can't do everything, and money's tight. And so far Democrats haven't done jack to get the economy humming again, so you do what you have to during slim times.

'What Makes You Beautiful'

Well, I did a lot of chauffeuring for the boys over the holidays (and they dominate the radio dial), so here's some kids pop for you, until later:

Occupy Hypocrisy: After Beyoncé Gives Birth, Other Patients Protest

Michelle Malkin was cracking me up on Twitter the other day, hammering Jay-Z for his Occupy hypocrisy with his leasing out of an entire hospital floor for Beyoncé's delivery. And here it is at New York Times, "As R&B Royalty Gives Birth, Security Irks Hospital’s Other Patients":

The couple were visiting their twin daughters in the neonatal intensive care unit at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan on Friday night, as they have done daily since the babies’ premature birth on Dec. 28. But when they tried to leave the sixth-floor unit to go home to Brooklyn at about 11 p.m., the new mother, Rozz Nash-Coulon, recalled, a burly security guard suddenly blocked their way.

The familiar area outside the neonatal unit had been transformed: partitions had been put up, the maternity ward windows were completely covered, and even the hospitals’ security cameras had been taped over with paper. Guards with Secret Service-style earpieces roamed the floor.

“We were told we could walk no further,” Ms. Nash-Coulon said Monday. And when she and her husband, Neil, demanded an explanation, she added, the guard claimed, unconvincingly, “ ‘Well, they’re handling hazardous materials,’ ” even as a large group of people screened from view were passing through the main hallway he had declared off-limits.

It was just the first of a series of indignities that they and several other noncelebrity maternity patients say they experienced over the weekend, as Lenox Hill Hospital went all-out to protect the privacy of Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z, whose daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, was born there on Saturday.

At one point, another father, Edgar Ramirez, 25, said, security guards kept him out of the neonatal unit for three hours while his wife and newborn were waiting for him. At another point on Saturday, a guard declared that “the floor is on lockdown,” Ms. Nash-Coulon said, and told her that if she left the neonatal unit, she would not be allowed back in to see her babies.

“It was just really disgusting,” said Ms. Nash-Coulon, 38, who is still recovering from her C-section, while one of her twins remains in the hospital. “We really believe the hospital is culpable in this because they didn’t let us know what was happening. And the security of our children is at risk when you cover security cameras.”

More at that top link.

And at Human Events, "Occupy's Celebrity 1 Percent Backers."

Chris Christie Backhands Occupy Protesters at Mitt Romney Rally

The folks at Slate are all outrage at the alleged --- wait for it! --- anti-feminine bigotry, "N.J. Gov. Chris Christie Responds to Female Hecklers With Offensive Oral Sex Joke." But Nice Deb thinks it's a hoot, "Awesome: Christie To Occupy Heckler In NH – “Somebody’s going down tonight, but it ain’t going to be jobs, sweetheart” (Video)." And Taylor Marsh is unfazed, amazingly.

More at London's Daily Mail, "Chris Christie calls heckling Occupy protester ‘sweetheart’ as he stumps for Romney in New Hampshire."

Also at The Blaze, "'Really?': Chris Christie 'Shouts Down' Occupy Protesters at Romney Rally With Anti-Obama Tirade."

Still, there's a usual assortment of progressive heads exploding at Memeorandum.

Lisa Wagner's Lawsuit Against University of Iowa Law School

This is an amazing story.

At New York Times, "Suit by Conservative Sees Bias in Law School Hiring":

WASHINGTON — Teresa R. Wagner is a conservative Republican who wants to teach law. Her politics may have hurt her career.

An official of the University of Iowa College of Law, where Ms. Wagner applied for a job in 2006, certainly seemed to think so.

“Frankly, one thing that worries me is that some people may be opposed to Teresa serving in any role, in part at least because they so despise her politics (and especially her activism about it),” Associate Dean Jonathan C. Carlson wrote in 2007 to the law school’s dean, Carolyn Jones.

Ms. Wagner, who graduated from the law school in 1993 and had taught at the George Mason University School of Law, was not hired. She sued, alleging discrimination because of her political beliefs. Late last month, a unanimous three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, in St. Louis, ruled that her case should go to trial, saying she had presented enough evidence to suggest that “Dean Jones’s repeated decisions not to hire Wagner were in part motivated by Wagner’s constitutionally protected First Amendment rights of political belief and association.”

Ms. Wagner’s lawyer, Stephen T. Fieweger, said the decision was a victory for an important sort of academic freedom.

“It’s gotten to the point where the law school’s diversity efforts are to eliminate everyone from the mainstream,” he said. “They espouse cultural diversity, but won’t consider the conservative viewpoint.”

According to Ms. Wagner’s lawsuit, the law faculty at Iowa in 2007 included a single registered Republican among its 50 or so members. The Republican professor was appointed in 1984. In 2009, The Des Moines Register found that there were two registered Republicans on the faculty.

Ms. Wagner would have added some balance, her lawyer said.

“My client is an ideologue,” Mr. Fieweger said. “She does believe in conservative values.” Ms. Wagner has worked for the National Right to Life Committee, which opposes abortion and euthanasia, and the Family Research Council, which takes conservative positions on social issues.

Althouse posts on this, focusing on libertarian scholar Walter Olson's comments at the article. I don't have misgivings about the lawsuit. I can't imagine Ms. Wagner going to work at the law school, however. This kind of stuff generates an enormous amount of ideological hatred. Seriously. To call out the law school deans for that kind of bigotry and win the matter at the appellate level? It's a crushing repudiation of the left's hypocrisy on difference and diversity, to say the least. And here's hoping that Ms. Wagner prevails should there be further appeals. Universities need to hold their faculty accountable to the very principles of inclusion they mouth when allegations of bias are lodged against those bastions of discrimination and favoritism so historically hated by the left.

Progressive Heads Explode at the Audacity of NYU Student Sara Ackerman

New York University student Sara Ackerman rejected the Occupy Wall Street assignment of Professor Caitlin Zaloom.

Pamela has the report, "Professor Forced NYU Student to Go to #OWS Against Her Will for Class Requirement."

I have some questions about Ackerman. For example, was her course a requirement, and if not, why not just drop the class if she opposed the ethnography assignment on Occupy Wall Street? And her demand that Professor Zaloom be fired is a bit much. That said, it's alleged that the university was ready to giver her an "A" in the course in exchange for her keeping quiet about the matter. That'd be hush money, if true, and obviously those offering such payments have something to hide (the administration denies it). See the original article, "NYU Student Weaves Elaborate Email-Drama, Beefs With Administration Over OWS And Student Ethics." (The e-mails are at the link, and Ackerman appears perfectly lucid to me.) Whatever happened, my hunch is that folks at NYU couldn't believe Ackerman wasn't down with the program --- and you know how progressives react when conservatives deviate from the accepted narrative: KABOOM!! These f-kers bring down the hammer of PC totalitarianism and progressive hate and recrimination. They libel and smear dissenters as "unhinged" and "threatening" --- Ackerman's mental health was questioned --- and the university threatened her with "disciplinary action."

And for what? Ackerman claimed that she wanted an alternative assignment for fear of her safety. As the report indicates:

Sara says she refused to go down because of ethical disagreements and concerns about “the criminals, drug addicts, mentally ill people” that were there.

Well, considering the dregs of society populating OWS, I can't say I blame her.

Either way, the reaction across the institutional leftosphere is a stark reminder of the deep divisions in society over the scope of decency and freedom of conscience. The progs practically want Ackerman's scalp.

See, for example Huffington Post, "NYU's Sara Ackerman Tries to Get Professor Fired Over Occupy Wall Street Assignment."

And Sydney Brownstone, at The L, rips into Ackerman for her evil representation of "the degree of segregation by economic status in which this country is currently steeped." See: "NYU Student Goes Apeshit Over OWS Assignment, Reaches Out to Lady Gaga, TV Talk Shows on Facebook." And more over the top headlining at Gawker, "The Crazy Department-Wide Emails That Everyone at NYU Is Talking About," and New York Magazine, "NYU Student Flips Out Over Occupy Wall Street Assignment."

Capitalism Comes Under Fire in Republican Primary Campaign

Continuing on the theme I broached earlier.

From Beth Reinhard, at National Journal:

NASHUA, N.H. – The Democrats started it, and now Republican rivals are piling on. Mitt Romney is suddenly playing defense about his career as a venture capitalist--and in a Republican primary campaign, of all things.

The attacks on Romney’s Bain Capital career from fellow Republicans may be coming too late in the game to knock him off his path toward the nomination. They may also be ineffective in a party that lionizes capitalism and the business sector that propels it. Raising hackles about Romney's flip-flops on abortion and other key issues and comparing his Massachusetts health law to "Obamacare'' seems like safer ground.

But at the very least, the GOP field is providing a cache of video that Democrats are no doubt already hoarding for use in the likely event that Romney is President Obama’s opponent.
On Monday, a super PAC bankrolled by allies of Newt Gingrich said it is planning a $3.4 million media blitz in South Carolina that attacks Romney as a ruthless corporate titan who profited on the backs of hundreds of laid-off workers.

In Concord, meanwhile, Jon Huntsman turned a Romney remark about liking to be able to fire service providers who fall short into a Bain reference. "What's clear is, he likes firing people; I like creating jobs," Huntsman said.

Rick Perry also took up the anti-Bain attack at a campaign event in Anderson, S.C. "I have no doubt that Mitt Romney was worried about pink slips - whether he was going to have enough of them to hand out,'' he quipped, poking at Romney’s attempt at a feel-your-pain moment on Sunday.

If the attacks on his career at Bain Capital sound familiar, it's because the Democratic Party has been waging them for weeks, trotting out bitterly unemployed people who blame Romney for their predicament.

More at the link.

And for some contrasting views on the right, see Michelle, "The abysmal incompetence of the non-Romneys; Huntsman, Gingrich, Perry all go Occupier; Santorum declines" (via Memeorandum), and William Jacobson, "Republicans should thank Newt for bringing up Bain now."

RELATED: At Los Angeles Times, "Mitt Romney gives foes a gift with 'fire people' remark," and "Now, it's Romney facing a 'context' issue with firing remarks."

Royal Premiere of 'War Horse'

At Los Angeles Times, "Will and Kate light up 'War Horse' London premiere."

And at Telegraph UK, "Steven Spielberg 'honoured' to meet Royals."

I saw 'War Horse' over the weekend. I liked it, although it I had some unexpected thoughts about it.

I'll update on this later. It was a magnificent movie.

Erin Langworthy Survives Bungee Jump Accident in Zimbabwe (VIDEO)

Well, no wonder this is going viral.

It's an amazing clip:

Ahmadinejad Seeks Support in Latin America

The axis of evil expands.

At Business Week, "Ahmadinejad Woos Chavez-Led Allies in Latin America Tour":

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, facing tighter U.S. sanctions and rising tensions in the Persian Gulf, will turn to his diminished group of allies in Latin America for support this week.

Ahmadinejad arrived in Venezuela yesterday to kick off a four-nation tour to push investment projects such as a hydro- electric power plant in Ecuador. He’ll be joining forces with leaders like Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Cuba’s Raul Castro in taking shots at the U.S. in its own backyard, defying attempts to isolate Iran over its nuclear activities.

Iran’s Latin American allies shouldn’t expect too much in return. Iran has yet to fulfill pledges made by Ahmadinejad on previous trips -- he’s made five since 2005 -- to build a port in Nicaragua and an oil refinery in Ecuador. Unlike during his last regional tour in 2009, he won’t visit Brazil, where President Dilma Rousseff has shown little interest in deepening ties forged by her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

“The promises of aid and investment have not been kept,” Cynthia Arnson, Latin America program director at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, said in a phone interview. “This is clearly a political solidarity tour to reinforce relationships with a small number of allies.”

After holding talks with Chavez today, Ahmadinejad will travel to Nicaragua to attend the swearing-in ceremony tomorrow of President Daniel Ortega, who was re-elected to a second consecutive term in November. He’ll also visit Cuba and Ecuador during the five-day tour.

More at the link.

Smokin' Mila Kunis Attends Children's Hospital Gala in Purple Dress With 'Plunging' Neckline

She's lovely.

At London's Daily Mail, "Dressed to frill! Mila Kunis steps out in flirty and feminine plunging purple dress as she attends children’s hospital gala."

Occupy Oakland Protesters Arrested for Assaulting Police

And not to mention possession of dynamite.

See JammieWearingFool, "Six Mostly Peaceful Occupy Oakland Losers Arrested for Assaulting Police."

IMAGE CREDIT: The People's Cube, "OccupyPuncture: Wall Street Occupiers Stab NYPD Officer, Surround Ambulance Trying to Rush Him to the Hospital."

Because, you know, it's just some strangers from outside the movement, or something.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz Stumped on Obama's 'One-Term Proposition' if Economy Doesn't Recover

This is interesting:

PREVIOUSLY: "Debbie Wasserman-Schultz Shills for Barack 'Occupy' Obama on Greta Van Susteren's Show."

Amanda Seyfried to Play Linda Lovelace in '70s-Era Biopic

Well, they say there's a shortage original dramas, so why not cull the '70s for something to sell movie tickets, right?

At London's Daily Mail, "Pimp my ride! Amanda Seyfried sits in top down car with on-screen husband Peter Sarsgaard on set of Linda Lovelace," and "Not ready for your close up? Amanda Seyfried looks sloppy in her dressing gown on set of Linda Lovelace."

And turns out it's an all-star cast: At MTV, "Demi Moore Joins ‘Lovelace’ Biopic: Actress will play feminist icon Gloria Steinem in flick about adult film star Linda Lovelace."

Santorum's Momentum Stalls

Well, being falsely and maliciously attacked as a bigot 24-7 probably didn't help.

From Nate Silver, at New York Times, "Some Signs in Polls That Santorum’s Momentum Has Stalled."

RELATED: At Los Angeles Times, "Rick Santorum says South Carolina his 'best chance to win'."

Republican Schisms Sharpen Amid Escalating Offensive Against Romney

At Los Angeles Times, "As Mitt Romney surges, Republican divisions sharpen":

A fusillade of attacks on front-runner Mitt Romney presages what is likely to be at least a month of internal warfare among Republicans as the presidential candidates head for the South, the heart of the GOP's restive base.

The campaign's longtime dynamic shifted forcefully Sunday, as several trailing candidates tried to take down Romney before he more firmly grasps the Republican presidential nomination. He's a heavy favorite in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, but immediately ahead is South Carolina, where his foes are already on the ground and beaming new, more corrosive charges over the airwaves.

Some of what is powering the increasing acrimony among the candidates is personal disdain. But it also reflects profound differences between sectors of the Republican Party.

"This is a more doctrinaire Republican base than we had seen in the last 25 years," said Andrew Kohut, president of the independent Pew Research Center. "It is much more hard-core than in the past."

In particular, he said, highly energized elements on the GOP right "are looking for a rebellious kind of candidate," as reflected in polls and initial voting results that show a majority of Republicans unwilling to fall in line behind button-down Romney.

The problem, of course, is that the sharpening attacks on Romney simply set the table for the extreme left's impending jihad against the Mormon "predatory capitalist" nominee --- that is, if and when Romney clinches the nomination.

See: "Attacks on Romney Will Provide Ammo for Left's Character Assassination Machine in the Fall."

Also at the New York Times, "Romney Is Focus as Battle in G.O.P. Takes Sharp Edge."

Denver Broncos Beat Pittsburgh Steelers in Overtime

This is the one game this weekend that promised to be exceptional, and I think it was.

See New York Times, "Quick Strike From Tebow Helps Broncos Edge Steelers":

DENVER — Tebow Time met overtime, and overtime had no chance. Neither did the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tim Tebow, who had engineered comebacks from fourth-quarter deficits to win five games since becoming the starter this season, completed a short pass that Demaryius Thomas turned into an 80-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage in overtime, giving the Denver Broncos a stunning 29-23 victory Sunday in their A.F.C. wild-card game. It was the first overtime game since the N.F.L. established rules last year that would allow overtime to end with just one team possessing the ball only if that team scored a touchdown.

Fittingly, Tebow, who has defied conventional wisdom and the best intelligence about how football is meant to be played, turned the rule on its head. He pulled the trigger. And pulled off another Tebow miracle. Now the Broncos can prepare to visit the New England Patriots next Saturday. The Patriots went into Denver on Dec. 18 and defeated the Broncos, 41-23.

Continue reading.

The video is at the NFL homepage if this one gets yanked.

Attacks on Romney Will Provide Ammo for Left's Character Assassination Machine in the Fall

See what I was saying?

At Los Angeles Times, "Attacks on Romney may pack more punch this fall."

Seems as if Romney weathered the Meet the Press debate just fine, but...

The wicked way that WHDH-TV's Andy Hiller asked a question -- in effect, what have you done for gay people lately? -- put Romney in the odd position of delivering a clarion call for compassion toward gays and lesbians.

"If people are looking for someone who will discriminate against gays or will in any way try and suggest that people that have different sexual orientation don't have full rights in this country, they won't find that in me," Romney said.

A commendable sentiment, many might say. But it is also the kind of statement that has a way of finding its way onto leaflets on car windshields outside churches in places like, say, South Carolina; it's not a message that's going to resonate well with many of the evangelicals who vote in Republican primaries.

But the attacks on Romney's role at Bain Capital, the investment firm he co-founded, may prove even more damaging. By portraying the company as a job-destroying malefactor of Wall Street greed, fellow Republicans are laying a foundation upon which the Obama campaign will eagerly build.

If anyone assumes that all will be forgotten -- Romney won New Hampshire! He's vetted! None of that matters! -- it helps to recall:

In 1988, it was not Republicans but a Democrat -- Al Gore -- who first raised the issue of weekend furloughs for convicted killers, which helped destroy the presidential hopes of another former Massachusetts governor, Michael Dukakis. The subject came up during a Democratic debate ahead of the New York primary; it did Gore little good -- he lost badly -- and did nothing to slow Dukakis' march to the nomination.

In the fall, however, Republicans seized on the case of Willie Horton, who raped a woman and stabbed and pistol-whipped her boyfriend while on weekend release, and used it to devastating effect against Dukakis.

If Bain proves to be Romney's bane, you won't know it from what happens here in New Hampshire. It will be clear only when, and if, he wins the nomination and faces Obama and his team of bruisers in the fall.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."

Also at Reaganite Republican, "Reaganite's Sunday Funnies," and Theo Spark, "Cartoon Round Up..."

Mitt Romney Denies Gay Pride Flyer from 2002

Well, it's not a new story, by any means.

But the progs are going to play it to the hilt to slam Romney for either spineless serial flip-flopping or closet anti-homosexual bigotry. As long as Romney doesn't flip back to the frothy pro-gay radical rim station extremism for the general election, he should be okay.

See Huffington Post, "Mitt Romney Campaign Disavows Pro-Gay Rights Flyer From 2002."

And at New York Times, "Debate Fact Check: Romney on Gay Rights."

Winning Our Future Launches New Round of Attacks on Mitt Romney

Seriously, I doubt these will do much more that empower the Democrats if and when Mitt Romney becomes the nominee.

At New York Times, "Pro-Gingrich PAC Plans TV Ads Against Romney."

VIDEO HAT TIP: Gateway Pundit, "Gingrich Supporters Release Anti-Romney Flick On His Tenure With Bain Capital (Trailer)."

George Stephanopoulos Under Fire for Lame GOP Debate Moderation

At Gateway Pundit, "ABC Resident Leftist George Stephanopoulos Big Loser at New Hampshire Debate."

And at London's Daily Mail, "George Stephanopoulos accused of bias in relentless questioning of Mitt Romney on jobs and contraception."

Added: From Doug Ross, "I am so f-ing sick of these left-wing, old media hacks running GOP debates. I want a conservative bloggers' debate!"

That's what I'm talkin' about!

More: See Seth Mandel, at Commentary, "The Left’s Weekend (Culture) Warriors."

Tony Blankley, 1948 – 2012

I always thought he was a good and decent guy, kind of a throwback to an earlier urbane-style conservatism.

At Washington Times, "Ex-Times Editorial Page Editor Tony Blankley dead at 63."

Also at USA Today, "Commentator Blankley dies after battle with cancer."

Rosie Jones Rule 5

Randy's Rountable had a Rosie Jones roundup previously, and perhaps it's a good time to review:

And more from Randy's here: "Thursday Nite Tart: Mayra Suarez."

See also Pirate's Cove, "If All You See…is an evil washing machine that will cause the seas to rise and cover Florida, you might just be a Warmist."

And check Guns and Bikinis for some "Facebook Girls." And at Reaganite, "Curves of Wonder- from Down Under! Miss Australia 2011 is Scherri-Lee Biggs."

There's some football babe blogging at AoSHQ, "More Playoffs!," and "Playoffs! *updated, Houston Kills the Bengals." And some great straight up football blogging at Daley Gator.

Plus, "Bye Week for the Niners...", notes Proof Positive.

That's all the linkage for now --- drop yours in the comments for later updates.

Oh My! Obama White House Threw Secret 'Wonderland' Costume Ball!

Through the freakin' looking glass!!

At New York Post, "White House threw secret 'Alice in Wonderland' bash during recession."

And Atlas Shrugs, "OBAMA IN WONDERLAND: WHITE HOUSE THREW SECRET #'ALICE IN WONDERLAND' BASH DURING RECESSION, MICHELLE'S MILLION DOLLAR RAGS."

One Year Ago Today: Progressives Ruthlessly Exploited Gabrielle Giffords Shooting to Destroy Conservatives

William Jacobson has a report: "Remembering Giffords shooting, and the reaction."

Not mentioned at William's post: Racist TBogg of Firedoglake: "Fuck it. I'm going there…"

BONUS: At National Post, "Gabrielle Giffords returns to Tucson on anniversary of shooting."

Romney Takes Fire in Second New Hampshire Debate

At Washington Post, "Mitt Romney under attack in final N.H. debate":

CONCORD, N.H. — Mitt Romney’s opponents, seizing upon what could be one of their last opportunities to blunt his accelerating momentum toward the GOP presidential nomination, trained their fire on the front-runner Sunday morning in their final joint appearance before Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.

One by one, Romney’s opponents took the parts of his résuméthat he touts as strengths and portrayed them as evidence that he lacks authenticity, conviction and consistency.

“Can we drop a little bit of the pious baloney?” former House speaker Newt Gingrich asked Romney, after the former Massachusetts governor once again portrayed himself as a career businessman with a disdain for lifelong politicians.

“The fact is, you ran in ’94 and lost. That’s why you weren’t serving in the Senate,” Gingrich said. “You had a very bad reelection rating [as governor]. You dropped out of office. . . . You were running for president while you were governor.”

Gingrich added: “Now you’re back running. You have been running consistently for years and years and years. So this idea that suddenly citizenship showed up in your mind, just level with the American people. You’ve been running for — at least since the 1990s.”

When Romney touted his record cutting taxes and balancing budgets as governor, former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.), who fought him to a virtual tie in last week’s Iowa caucuses, retorted: “If you didn’t want to even stand before the people of Massachusetts and run on your record, if it was that great, why did you bail out?”

And where Romney had cited his 1994 Senate bid against the late Edward M. Kennedy as a heroic and quixotic challenge to “the policies of the liberal welfare state,” Santorum said Romney’s loss resulted from a failure of spine.

“He wouldn’t stand for conservative principles,” Santorum said. “He ran from Ronald Reagan. And he said he was going to be to the left of Ted Kennedy on gay rights, on abortion, a whole host of other issues.”

And former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, defending himself against Romney’s barbs about Huntsman’s service as President Obama’s ambassador to China, suggested that Romney puts partisanship and ambition above country.

“He criticized me, while he was out raising money, for serving my country in China, yes, under a Democrat, like my two sons are doing in the United States Navy,” Huntsman said, in an oblique reminder that none of Romney’s five sons has ever been in the military. “They’re not asking who — what political affiliation the president is. I want to be very clear with the people here in New Hampshire and this country: I will always put my country first.”

Huntsman’s struggling campaign is looking for a breakout in New Hampshire. He did not compete in Iowa so that he could stay in this state and compete for the votes of independents, who are allowed under the state’s open system to vote in the GOP primary. Meanwhile, Santorum, Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) are attacking Romney from the right.

Still, in the latest polls, Romney has been maintaining a more than 20-point lead over his rivals.

More at Legal Insurrection, "“Pious Baloney” is the word."

The Left's So-Called Empathy

Progressive empathy is a cruel joke, no doubt.

From Mark Steyn, at National Review:

The Left endlessly trumpets its “empathy.” President Obama, for example, has said that what he looks for in his judges is “the depth and breadth of one’s empathy.” As he told his pro-abortion pals at Planned Parenthood, “we need somebody who’s got the heart — the empathy — to recognize what it’s like to be a young teenage mom.” Empathy, empathy, empathy: You barely heard the word outside clinical circles until the liberals decided it was one of those accessories no self-proclaimed caring progressive should be without.

Indeed, flaunting their empathy is what got Eugene Robinson and many others their Pulitzers — Robinson describes his newspaper column as “a license to feel.” Yet he’s entirely incapable of imagining how it must feel for a parent to experience within the same day both new life and death — or even to understand that the inability to imagine being in that situation ought to prompt a little circumspection.

The Left’s much-vaunted powers of empathy routinely fail when confronted by those who do not agree with them politically...

RTWT.

Romney Stands Above the Fray in New Hampshire

At New York Times, "Romney Eludes Rivals’ Attacks at Republican Debate in N.H.":

GOFFSTOWN, N.H. — A relaxed and self-assured Mitt Romney sailed above the fray at a crucial debate on Saturday night as his Republican rivals engaged in a spirited fight to determine which of them would emerge as his most formidable opponent when the party’s nominating contest moves past New Hampshire.

Mr. Romney, who had been bracing for an onslaught of attacks, brushed aside a critique about job losses during his time buying and selling companies at his investment firm. He defended his record as Massachusetts governor with ease, fielding only occasional questions about the similarities between his state health care law and the national version championed by President Obama.

Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania painted himself as the one candidate on the stage with the credentials to provide a pure, conservative case against Mr. Obama. He warned Republicans that Mr. Romney’s pedigree would make it more difficult to push back against the income equality argument that is a central theme of the president’s re-election strategy.

“I was not ever for an individual mandate. I wasn’t for a top-down, government-run health care system. I wasn’t for the big bank of Wall Street bailout, as Governor Romney was,” Mr. Santorum said. “We’re looking for someone who can win this race, who can win this race on the economy and on the core issues of this election.”

Representative Ron Paul of Texas, who did not rule out a third-party run if he failed to win the Republican nomination, attacked Mr. Santorum and Newt Gingrich. Both of them, he said, had profited from promoting the agendas of corporations to their old colleagues in Congress.

“I mean, he became a high-powered lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and he has done quite well,” Mr. Paul said of Mr. Santorum, who, like Mr. Gingrich, had corporate clients after leaving government but did not register as a lobbyist. “We checked out Newt, on his income. I think we ought to find out how much money he has made from the lobbyists as well.”

In one of the most personal clashes of the evening, Mr. Paul and Mr. Gingrich fought over military service. Mr. Gingrich said he was married and had a child, so he did not join the military as a young man. Mr. Paul said that he, too, had children, and when he was drafted, “I went.”

The candidates gathered on the campus of St. Anselm College, just outside Manchester, three days before the New Hampshire primary moves the Republican Party one step closer to selecting a nominee to challenge Mr. Obama. The evening unfolded with far more civility than many previous debates, with a battle for second place emerging as the storyline in a central moment of the campaign.

More at the link.

Orange County's Homeless Men On Guard After Three Murders by Suspected Serial Killer

In Santa Barbara in 1992 there was a series of murders of homeless transients that dominated the news at the time. My future wife and I had just moved down there from Fresno. Apparently Santa Barbara, with its temperate climate and laid-back, small town atmosphere, attracted a lot of homeless people. But I can still feel both the shock and rage I felt at the time of the murders. Someone had walked into the park and pumped bullets into the homeless as they slept. It's still unbelievable to me, the enormity of cruelty that is truly pure evil.

I'm reminded of those feelings with news of the rash of murders of homeless men in the O.C.  See Los Angeles Times, "Vulnerable homeless men try to foil Orange County killer":

Cary Singletary is 6-foot-2, an ex-boxer who once worked nightclub security, alternating coffee and water to stay alert through the small hours. Now, encamped on the streets of downtown Santa Ana, he's the unofficial sentry for what he calls "my people," a group of homeless whose wary existence is now shadowed by a new peril: a serial killer.

"Hopefully, they'll get the sick-minded coward," said Singletary 52, speaking of the string of stabbing deaths of middle-aged homeless men in Orange County that began just before Christmas. Singletary stood in a parking lot Thursday night clutching a safety kit — a whistle and flashlight, both donated by the Orange County Rescue Mission.

Singletary said he fears that the killer, who has attacked in neighboring Anaheim, Placentia and Yorba Linda, might strike next in Santa Ana. So he is up all night, drinking coffee, keeping watch for strangers. For company, he listens to R&B on his headphones. He sleeps in two-hour shifts on the public bus.

"If that serial killer wants to come at us, he'll have his hands full," said Singletary, who has been homeless for six months. "We've got some soldiers out here. I'm just one of them. If that whistle goes off, you'll have a whole army of homeless on him."

Across the county, at the urging of authorities, many of the homeless are seeking beds at emergency shelters, or making sure to sleep in groups outdoors, and taking pains to make themselves less conspicuous on the streets and riverbeds. Many say it is just another version of a skill they have practiced for years — survival — in a dangerous milieu. In some cases, efforts to help are complicated by mental illness, paranoia and a deep-seated fatalism.

Continue reading at the link.

More at Orange County Register, "Homeless homicides bring needs to light."

Say a prayer for the safety of these people.

L.A. Light: Time-Lapse Photos of Downtown Los Angeles

Via Rhetorican:

Sarah Palin: Mainstream Media Taking 'Hands Off' Approach to Mitt Romney in Primaries

A great interview, on Jeanine Pirro's show on Fox:

Pallin argues that the left's character assassination machine is holding back on Romney now, buttering him up for the epic sleazeball attacks that the entire progressive establishment will rain down on him if and when he wins the nomination. I think Palin's right about the attacks. My sense however is that Romney won't be the pantywaist everyone makes him out to be. He's been pretty tough throughout the GOP debates and he's going to destroy Obama on both the economy and social issues.

That said, James Pethokoukis says Romney should work harder to get his message out: "Why is Romney doing such a lousy job defending his record at Bain Capital?"

Immigration and the Presidential Race

An interesting discussion, via Blazing Cat Fur:

Why Islamism Is Winning

From political scientist John M. Owen IV, at New York Times:

Political Islam, especially the strict version practiced by Salafists in Egypt, is thriving largely because it is tapping into ideological roots that were laid down long before the revolts began. Invented in the 1920s by the Muslim Brotherhood, kept alive by their many affiliates and offshoots, boosted by the failures of Nasserism and Baathism, allegedly bankrolled by Saudi and Qatari money, and inspired by the defiant example of revolutionary Iran, Islamism has for years provided a coherent narrative about what ails Muslim societies and where the cure lies. Far from rendering Islamism unnecessary, as some experts forecast, the Arab Spring has increased its credibility; Islamists, after all, have long condemned these corrupt regimes as destined to fail.

Liberalism in 19th-century Europe, and Islamism in the Arab world today, are like channels dug by one generation of activists and kept open, sometimes quietly, by future ones. When the storms of revolution arrive, whether in Europe or the Middle East, the waters will find those channels. Islamism is winning out because it is the deepest and widest channel into which today’s Arab discontent can flow.

The implications of this are pretty dire, actually. Islamism is a destabilizing force for international relations. It rejects the legitimacy of the status quo and will work to topple it.

But RTWT for context.

Owen makes an interesting argument, despite the troubling implications of the analysis.

Ron Paul Supporters Attack Jon Huntsman's Adopted Daughters

At Washington Post, "Ron Paul supporters and that awful Huntsman attack ad":

With supporters like these, Paul hardly needs detractors. I can’t think of a single thing a Paul supporter has done that has made me more inclined to see his candidate in a favorable light. Paul supporters are the ones who won’t stop talking to you on airplanes. They show up at caucuses and ramble on at length about finding the bones of giants in the earth. They comment indignantly on your blog posts and link you to conspiracy Web sites.

Stop doing this! You’ve crossed the line from self-parody into campaign liability.

You think?

Candidates Reject Gay Marriage at GOP Debate in New Hampshire

I can hear the sound of progressive heads exploding.

At Los Angeles Times, "GOP candidates restate opposition to gay marriage":

Reporting from Goffstown, N.H.— Rick Santorum's new status in the top tier of the Republican race for president has also raised the profile of gay marriage as a major issue. In tonight's debate, the candidates largely agreed in favoring a narrow definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.

The first question posed to the candidates dealt with how same-sex couples should go about recognizing a committed, long-term relationship if marriage was not an option available to them.

Newt Gingrich said marriage was a "sacrament" long recognized in history as being between a man and a woman.

"It is a huge jump from being understanding and considerate and concerned, which we should be, to saying we therefore are going to institute the sacrament of marriage as though it has no basis," he said. "It's something worth protecting."

Santorum was asked what should happen to couples who have married in New Hampshire since it became state law. Santorum said marriage was a federal issue.

"We have to have one law. We can't have someone married in one state and not married in another. Once we are successful in establishing that, then this issue becomes moot," he said.

Mitt Romney said he'd support domestic partnership benefits for gay couples, but stopped short of gay marriage or even civil unions.

"To say that marriage is something other than the relationship between a man and a woman, I think, is a mistake," he said. "The reason for that is not that we want to discriminate against people or to suggest that gay couples are not just as loving and can't also raise children well. But it's instead a recognition that, for society as a whole, that the nation presumably would be better off if children are raised in a setting where there's a male and a female."

Also at The Hill, "GOP debate: No love for gay marriage."

And see Gateway Pundit, "Awesome! Newt Rips Media For Bias & Bigotry Against the Church (Video)."

And see Linkmaster Smith, "Post-Debate Spin Room."

Added: A thread at Memeorandum.

Heads at The Political Carnival's are already exploding. We'll see more progressive bigotry tomorrow.