Evangelicals are Wahhab Saudis

The way Santorum talks about contraception being "harmful to women and society" and the way his prominent supporter suggested that back in his day not being a slut was the main method of contraception, I feel totally justified in saying that the only difference between conservative evangelicals and Wahhab Sunnis is that one talks about Jesus and the other about Muhammed.

Life imitating art

Amanda Knox (Italian study abroad murder trial) = Roxy Hart (Chicago)

The Two B's

Bailout or bankruptcy? Specifically, the question that Obama faced and what we now know as the very successful auto bailout. (GM produced record profits and Chrysler was back in the red for the first time in over a decade) But Romney would have chosen the second B. Let's be clear: bankruptcy is very kind to a company's shareholders and creditors, and very unforgiving even as it shreds its (contractually obliged) promises to its workers. What else to expect from a Wall Street guy? He was willing to inflict immense pain upon workers whose financial planning would have been completely upended. And he takes that position because people like him believe quite paradoxically that the average well-managed investment portfolio wouldn't be sufficiently diversified to allow it to absorb the loss of some auto company securities. So instead, we should decide to take away the employees' livelihoods. All to spare the rich the indignity of a poor return on investment.

This would never happen at a Romney event

The first questioner wanted to know what the candidate was going to do for his wife, Callista, on Valentine’s Day. Gingrich said they would have a private dinner, hopefully exchange gifts and “reconnect a little bit,” which drew whoops from the crowd and led Gingrich to say: “No more details.”

Is it art imitating life?

Three of Romney's four main presidential rivals [Santorum, Gingrich, Obama but not Paul (yet)] are making the case against Romney based at least partly on character. Gingrich thunders that he is boldness to Romney's trepidation. Santorum reminds Tea Partiers that Romney is a moderate in conservative's clothing for the sake of convenience. And the Obama campaign, whose chief strategist suggested that Romney would not win because presidential elections are MRIs for the soul, is only too happy to add its (always constructive) analyses whenever the news turns to the negativity of the Republican primary.

Is the fact that everyone is talking about Romney's character a sign of a real weakness in his retail politicking skills? Or is it one of those self-fulfilling prophecy things, when everyone talks about his weakness until its the only pattern we can see anymore?

Boehner gots Romney's back

Obama's been taking shots at Romney over remarks that we should just let housing bottom out and now the speaker lends his voice to the shouting. Just get government out of the way.

Let them run against the morbidly unpopular idea of government. The only thing that's comparably unpopular is congressional Republicans. In November, we'll find out whether voters are more afraid of getting Medicare or of Republican plans to turn the US into an anarcho-capitalist brand.