miltonwolf.com

InsiderAdvantage Poll: Newt surging in Florida

2012-01-29T22:28:00.001-06:00

Ann Coulter, call your office...

InsiderAdvantage Poll: Gingrich Surging, Race 'Tighter Than Expected'

The Sunday results of 646 likely GOP voters are as follows:

Romney 36 percent
Gingrich 31 percent
Santorum 12 percent
Paul 12 percent
Other/Undecided 9 percent

Things are about to get very interesting. Brace yourself for the GOP establishment to go nuclear.

California's suicide pact continues: Green car edition

2012-01-28T16:55:00.001-06:00

California: 1 in 7 cars sold by 2025 must be electric

Seeking to influence other states and Washington, California air regulators passed sweeping auto emission standards Friday that include a mandate to have 1.4 million electric and hybrid vehicles on state roads by 2025.

The California Air Resources Board unanimously approved the new rules that require that one in seven of the new cars sold in the state in 2025 be an electric or other zero-emission vehicle.

You're not smart enough to choose your own health insurance or your own light bulb. Why should your car be any different?

[California Air Resources Board member Sandra Berg] said a lot of work must be done to educate dealers to sell the new generation of cars.

Yeah, that's why California hasn't sold enough electric cars to satisfy their government overseers, because sales people at the dealers lack sufficient education to sell them. Berg has advice...

"Early adopters (of electric cars) are willing to go without heat to save the miles they need to get to their destination, but that is not going to help grow the consumer base," Berg said, referring to the range issues with some current electric vehicles.

That's right, Californians. Shut off your climate control. It's the California way!

There are really only two ways California's statists can achieve this ridiculous new regulation. The first is to appeal to Californians' environmental sensibilities which won't come anywhere close to achieving 1 in 7 cars. The second will be the cruel process of making all other cars prohibitively expensive through taxes (on cars and fuel) and providing Solyndra-like corporate welfare to companies with connections.

Of course, not everybody is complaining. The Texas jobs boom needs all the California refugees it can get.

Sarah Palin: Cannibals in the GOP Establishment

2012-01-28T09:59:00.003-06:00

If there's a path to self-destruction, the GOP Establishment is hell-bent to find it. They are determined to defeat, not Democrats, but conservatives and tea partiers. The GOP's historic electoral successes in 2009 and 2010 were the result of one thing: an energized Tea Party movement.

This energy manifested itself in the 2012 South Carolina primary when Newt Gingrich caught the GOP Establishment flat footed. Conservatives and tea partiers rallied to his support and something amazing happened. South Carolina GOP primary turnout was 35 percent higher in 2012 than it was in 2008.

Consider the enormity of that wildly increased turnout. 155,000 Republicans voted in the 2012 SC primary who sat on the hands in 2008. When conservatives stay home, Republicans lose. If the GOP Establishment can successfully destroy Newt Gingrich with false charges, Republicans will lose 2012.

When allies of Mitt Romney -- the self-described "moderate and my views are progressive" who repudiated Ronald Reagan and Reaganism -- attack the "Reagan Robot" for being insufficiently Reaganesque, something is seriously wrong. When the Romney allies embrace the Pelosi tactic of smearing Newt Gingrich with 20-year old false partisan attacks for which Gingrich was completely exonerated, something is seriously wrong.

With that in mind, read Sarah Palin's brilliant Facebook post...

Cannibals in GOP Establishment Employ Tactics of the Left

We have witnessed something very disturbing this week. The Republican establishment which fought Ronald Reagan in the 1970s and which continues to fight the grassroots Tea Party movement today has adopted the tactics of the left in using the media and the politics of personal destruction to attack an opponent.

We will look back on this week and realize that something changed.

...

But this whole thing isn’t really about Newt Gingrich vs. Mitt Romney. It is about the GOP establishment vs. the Tea Party grassroots and independent Americans who are sick of the politics of personal destruction used now by both parties’ operatives with a complicit media egging it on. In fact, the establishment has been just as dismissive of Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. Newt is an imperfect vessel for Tea Party support, but in South Carolina the Tea Party chose to get behind him instead of the old guard’s choice. In response, the GOP establishment voices denounced South Carolinian voters with the same vitriol we usually see from the left when they spew hatred at everyday Americans “bitterly clinging” to their faith and their Second Amendment rights. The Tea Party was once again told to sit down and shut up and listen to the “wisdom” of their betters. We were reminded of the litany of Tea Party endorsed candidates in 2010 who didn’t win. Well, here’s a little newsflash to the establishment: without the Tea Party there would have been no historic 2010 victory at all.

Go read it all and ask yourself who the GOP Establishment views as its real adversary.

Election Day Tea Party 2012: A New Beginning

2012-01-27T18:37:00.000-06:00

You've got to see this video. History will be made...

Constitutionally Limited Government ..... Fiscal Responsibility ..... Free Markets

Visit ElectionDayTeaParty.com now. Get involved. America needs you.

A must-see video: Firewall: The Vote Pump

2012-01-27T14:48:00.000-06:00

via Instapundit

Mitt on ObamneyCare: "It's not worth getting angry about"; won't repeal all of ObamaCare

2012-01-26T23:09:00.004-06:00

Campaigns always have give and take but let's not lose sight of the forest for the trees. There are two issues that will make Barack Obama a one termer, two intertwined evil strands of DNA: Obamanomics and ObamaCare. If Republicans surrender either of these issues, they surrender the White House.

Mitt Romney is surrendering ObamaCare.

Mitt Romney himself has said he will keep parts ObamaCare. Mitt Romney advisor Norm Coleman doubled down: "We’re not going to do repeal," but would instead pull a page out of Bill Clinton's play book: Mend it don't end it. Team Romney is surrendering the single largest vulnerability of Barack Obama. Barack's top advisor David Axelrod thanks Mitt Romney for defending ObamaCare.

It gets worse. Mitt Romney on ObamneyCare: "It's not worth getting angry about."

Government takeover of health care is not worth getting angry about? Really?

RomneyCare has created longer wait times for patients in Massachusetts. Is that worth getting angry about?

RomneyCare has decreased the number of doctors willing to see new patients in Massachusetts. Is that worth getting angry about?

RomneyCare has decreased physican acceptance of Medicare for patients in Massachusetts. Is that worth getting angry about?

RomneyCare has increased healthcare costs for patients in Massachusetts. Is that worth getting angry about?

RomneyCare has increased government regulations for patients in Massachusetts. Is that worth getting angry about?

RomneyCare is the blueprint for ObamaCare. Is that worth getting angry about?

Not for Mitt Romney.

Newt Gingrich "acted properly and violated no laws" and Mitt Romney knows it

2012-01-26T06:17:00.002-06:00

The Washington establishment has entered full-blown panic mode. Good.

When your opponents resort to falsehoods and misinformation to attack you, you are winning.

What really happened in the Gingrich ethics case?

There were all kinds of accusations about Newt Gingrich then and now but...

...after it was all over and Gingrich was out of office, the IRS concluded that Gingrich did nothing wrong. After all the struggle, Gingrich was exonerated.

You really need to read the entire piece by Byron York in the Washington Examiner. He wrote and reported on the ethics allegations when they first broke and when the IRS exonerated Newt Gingrich.

The mainstream media fueled the trumped-up story...

Back in January 1997, the day after Cole presented his damning report to the Ethics Committee, the Washington Post's front-page banner headline was "Gingrich Actions 'Intentional' or 'Reckless'; Counsel Concludes That Speaker's Course Funding Was 'Clear Violation' of Tax Laws." That same day, the New York Times ran eleven stories on the Gingrich matter, four of them on the front page (one inside story was headlined, "Report Describes How Gingrich Used Taxpayers' Money for Partisan Politics"). On television, Dan Rather began the CBS Evening News by telling viewers that "only now is the evidence of Newt Gingrich's ethics violations and tax problems being disclosed in detail."

The story was much different when Gingrich was exonerated. The Washington Post ran a brief story on page five. The Times ran an equally brief story on page 23. And the evening newscasts of CBS, NBC, and ABC -- which together had devoted hours of coverage to the question of Gingrich's ethics -- did not report the story at all. Not a word.

CNN offered the only nationally televised report. Watch it and ask yourself why Mitt Romney has joined Nancy Pelosi on the false charge love seat.

Charles Krauthammer agrees that Mitt Romney wasn't being exactly truthful by saying that Gingrich "had to resign in disgrace."

Wolf Pack Roundup: Barack meant to do that...

2012-01-25T06:17:00.004-06:00

Don't mess with America's bacon: Under Obama, Price of Gas Has Jumped 83 Percent, Ground Beef 24 Percent, Bacon 22 Percent. Oh, quit complaining. The president just gave you $40...

CURL: The truly dismal state of the union. "...let’s pause here to take as hard look at the real state of America, by the numbers, using only cold, hard facts." Just don't blame Barack Obama.

Doug Ross @ Journal: Say, didn't Illinois just try Obama's "tax the rich" crap last year? And didn't it fail, miserably? I'm still laughing at those pics.

Michael Patrick Leahy calls them out: Time for Warren Buffett and his Secretary to Release Their Personal Tax Returns. Until they do, remember this: For investors to pay 15 percent capital gains tax on their earnings, they first had to pay 35 percent (for the highest earners anyway) on their income to have the money to invest in first place.

Reminder: The top 1 percent of income earners pays 38 percent of the federal income taxes; the top 10 percent pays 70 percent. But they're still not paying their fair share? Lefty language: "their fair share" = "my bills" ... Try substituting "my bills" whenever you hear them say "their fair share" and decide for yourself if it makes more sense.

William Jacobson: SOTU in one sentence. Heh.

Rasmussen National Poll: Gingrich 35%, Romney 28%, Santorum 16%, Paul 10%

Florida GOP RCP Average: Gingrich +1.3%

Weasel Zippers: What They Gave To Charity: Romney 14%, Obama 6.1%, Biden … $380. 0.15%...

John Hawkins: 15 Questions The Mainstream Media Would Ask Barack Obama If He Were A Republican. John is spot-on with these question. Here's one: "Since the American people have rejected your health care reform and it doesn't do what you said it would, shouldn't you work with the Republicans to repeal it?" Compare that to the disgraceful NBC question in the GOP debate: "Why didn't the Bush tax cuts work?"

ICYMI: My Washington Times latest: Tea Party rising for Newt Gingrich.

And finally, via Doug Ross, Barack meant to do that...

Daily Caller's SOTU drinking game

2012-01-24T19:30:00.000-06:00

Go read the rules at TheDC. The best:

Every time he says “debt” or “deficit” ... Take one of your friend’s beers and promise to pay him back later

My Washington Times latest: Tea Party rising for Newt Gingrich

2012-01-24T06:47:00.000-06:00

There's a reason many in the Tea Party are embracing Newt Gingrich and a reason why those in the Washington establishment fear him...

[Illustration by Alexander Hunter for The Washington Times]

Tea Party rising for Newt Gingrich
Establishment Republicans fear losing their grip on Washington

The Washington GOP establishment fears Mr. Gingrich. Good. To the Tea Party, that’s a feature, not a bug. We remember that they feared Ronald Reagan, too. Now they warn us that Mr. Gingrich will embrace big government and, believe me, the Republicans who gave us “no bureaucrat left behind” and the largest expansion of Medicare in history know a thing or two about big government.

So why do so many in the Tea Party believe that Mr. Gingrich is our best hope to further the conservative movement? It’s really simple: the Buckley Rule and the Friedman Rule. Voters in South Carolina proclaimed unambiguously that Mr. Gingrich is the most electable and the most conservative. What’s more, he has plotted an election course - and this is key - where he profits politically by doing right by conservatives and the Tea Party.

There are valid arguments to be made for and against both Mr. Gingrich and Mitt Romney even though each is preferable to President Obama. But consider this: Mr. Romney’s path to the nomination largely ignores the Tea Party while Mr. Gingrich embraces it. In fact, if Mr. Gingrich is to win the nomination and the White House, it will be because the Tea Party made it possible. So, in the end, who do you believe is more likely to be loyal to the Tea Party principles?

Swing by The Washington Times and let me know what you think. And, as always, thanks for sharing it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter and everywhere else Chuck Norris hangs out...

Roe v. Wade: Barack Obama claims he's pro-choice, but...

2012-01-23T06:07:00.003-06:00

If Barack can trust a woman with the life-and-death decision of her baby, shouldn't he trust her enough to choose her own lightbulbs?

Come find me on Twitter: @miltonwolfmd

Drudge's super oops ... um, wrong Manning

2012-01-22T21:48:00.003-06:00

It was only there for a minute, but here's the screen grab...

UPDATE: Drudge found the right Manning. I can sympathize with Eli. I grew up being called by my older brother's name.

After South Carolina: A path for conservative victory

2012-01-21T17:18:00.005-06:00

My pre-postmortem for the South Caroline GOP primary.

Newt is on a roll. The latest poll is South Carolina shows Gingrich over Romney 40 - 26 (with Ron Paul at 18 and Rick Santorum at 13). An outlier? Maybe but the RCP Average is Gingrich +5.0 and trending...

Mitt Romney has begun acknowledging that Newt will likely win South Carolina and even ducked a meeting with Newt this morning. But I'm sure he's ready to take on President Obama and the billion-dollar DNC machine. His "very junior high" cake delivery gesture is proof positive.

My SC prediction: Gingrich - Romney - Paul - Santorum

So what happens next?

First, history will be made anew. The past may be prologue but, like buying gold, past performance is no guarantee. South Carolina has picked the GOP eventual nominee since 1980 and has done so by choosing either the Iowa or New Hampshire winner. The unpredictability is partly a reflection of the Tea Party movement. South Carolina is not just rejecting Mitt Romney, they're rejecting the DC Washington Establishment -- yes, it does exist. Heck who am I kidding, South Carolina is giving the DC-GOP the finger.

Second, the Mitt Romney electability myth will finally be shattered once and for all. I wrote about this last month (seems like a year ago): Candidate in the cross hairs. There are good reasons to support Mitt Romney but pretending he's the most electable is not one of them.

Third, there will be renewed calls for Rick Santorum to exit. The three divisions of the GOP are now set: Romney the moderate, Gingrich the conservative and Paul the libertarian. Santorum and his supporters now serve Mitt Romney's purposes. Some will evoke the Pawlenty early exit and claim Santorum should stick around in case Newt "implodes." They are wrong. This is the same conventional wisdom that says Romney is the most electable. Santorum and his supporters must be made to answer for aiding and abetting Mitt Romney.

Fourth, a knight in shining armor will not suddenly appear. Some predict and others clamor for some other Republican to come in and save us. Won't happen. Didn't happen when Reagan started winning in 1980. Won't happen now.

Fifth, the Milton Friedman principle becomes paramount. We choose our candidates from those available, not from some mythical ones we desire. As I wrote in my last column: "...electing the 'right' people is nice but a far more effective strategy is to make it politically profitable for even the wrong people to do the right things. Let’s make it politically profitable for our candidates to vigorously defend conservatism by rewarding with our votes those who do."

Wolf Pack Roundup: Evil genius kid with awesome priorities...

2012-01-20T14:44:00.001-06:00

HSIEH: SOPA, Guns, and Freedom. "Q: What does the proposed SOPA (“Stop Online Piracy Act”) legislation have in common with gun control? A: Both would punish the innocent for the bad acts of a guilty few."

Obama's war on energy: Major U.S. refinery closes after EPA imposes $700 million in new costs. Via Instapundit: "It’s like nobody wants us to have gas."

AoS: Oh My: Rasmussen Finds Obama's Approval Rating At 38%, 31% with Independents. Wait, Did I Say Rasmussen? I Meant The New York Times. Via Weasel Zippers: "Must be those racist food stamp comments by Newt Gingrich." This is why ABCNews has launched their assault on Newt Gingrich. They're right to be scared.

Paulbots for Obama? Pew poll: Obama 44, Romney 32, Paul 18. If Ron Paul launches a third-party or independent run, they effectively will be.

JWF: Lunatic Democrats Propose “Reasonable Profits Board” to Regulate Oil Company Profits. Brilliant. Destroy suppliers motivation to provide us with the products and services we want. What could possibly go wrong?

LI: Rick Santorum failed the debate character test.

Washington Times: Obama’s pipe-dream economy. President thinks more jobs created by jobless checks than oil pipeline.

Face, meet palm: Uncle Sam Tells Americans How to Get Out of Debt. They say we should create a budget! And prioritize! Oh. My. Word.

Dan Riehl: Why I'm Backing Newt Gingrich.

Morning Bell: Obama’s Magic Kingdom of Joblessness.

Another step towards single-payer: Obama orders health plans to cover birth control without co-pays. Driving the profit out of private health insurance will drive companies out of business and desperate patients into the arms of the government.

And finally, an evil genius kid with awesome priorities...

My Washington Times latest: Mitt defends Mitt while Newt upholds conservatism

2012-01-20T08:30:00.001-06:00

Finally. The South Carolina GOP primary debates have finally drawn a palpable distinction between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney.

[Illustration by Alexander Hunter for The Washington Times]

Mitt defends Mitt while Newt upholds conservatism
History is made by imperfect champions of perfect ideals

Great moments in history are achieved not necessarily by great people, but rather by courageous people who will defend great ideas. The American story is one of an enduring struggle by imperfect champions of perfect ideals: natural rights, individual liberty, independence, sovereignty, the rule of law and more. America, even in its third century, deserves nothing less.

As the Fox News/Wall Street Journal GOP presidential debate unfolded in South Carolina on Monday, it became exceedingly clear: Mitt Romney is masterful at defending Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich is masterful at defending conservatism.

Compare these two exchanges. In the debate, Mitt Romney was mocked for his 2008 disingenuous hunting claims. Newt Gingrich was accused of being a racist. Each man had a choice to make: Defend himself or defend conservatism.

Here's Mitt:

Mitt 2.0 has solved the varmint problem by going elk hunting. Or was it moose? The governor should be reminded, however, that hunting is but a byproduct of the Second Amendment, not its purpose. Mr. Romney wasted an opportunity to remind Americans that our Founders, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, considered the right to bear arms an essential antidote to tyranny at the hands of government. Hunting is nice, but it was not their concern. But at least candidate Romney checked off the hunting box, even though his real game all along has been those varmint voters.

Here's Newt:

Compare this to Newt Gingrich’s inspiring defense, not of himself, but of conservative values. The electrifying moment came when Fox News’ Juan Williams attributed racist motives to the former speaker for labeling Barack Obama “the food-stamp president” and for his idea that young people should actually work. I suspect the Romney approach, based on his newfound passion for hunting, might have been to boast of his newfound black friends. Mr. Gingrich, however, wasn’t interested in inoculating himself, which only serves to validate false charges. Instead, he exposed the false narrative of the media and unapologetically defended conservatism.

Mr. Gingrich reminded Mr. Williams that “the fact is that more people have been put on food stamps by Barack Obama than any president in American history” as he disarmed Mr. Williams in a Reaganesque kind of way by adding, “Now, I know among the politically correct, you’re not supposed to use facts that are uncomfortable.” What came next, however, caused the audience to erupt in a standing ovation and will go down in the annals of campaign history.

“So here’s my point,” Mr. Gingrich explained. “I believe every American of every background has been endowed by their creator with the right to pursue happiness. And if that makes liberals unhappy, I’m going to continue to find ways to help poor people learn how to get a job, learn how to get a better job and learn some day to own the job.”

As you consider these two candidates, consider this. These debates are just a warm-up for the real debate between the Washington press corps and any Republican president the moment he or she is sworn in. George W. Bush beat Al Gore in all three of their debates but failed miserably in the day-to-day debate with the MSM.

Swing by The Washington Times and read it all. Let me know what you think. And as always, thanks for sharing it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter and everywhere else the cool kids hang out.

Newt Gingrich destroys CNN's John King in first question of South Carolina Republican debate

2012-01-19T22:21:00.001-06:00

Sometimes there just aren't enough metaphors to describe the enormity of what you've seen...

Now try to imagine Barack Obama trying to stand before the gale force that is Newt Gingrich, or better yet, the Washington press corp trying, after Newt is elected.

South Carolina CNN Debate

2012-01-19T19:21:00.016-06:00

I'll add thoughts and updates periodically throughout the debate. I invite you to add your comments as well.

Opening segment:
Newt Gingrich came out swinging and unloaded on CNN for leading off presidential debate with ABC's personal attack story. Claimed it was false. Claimed ABC wasn't interested in witnesses that refuted the story. The crowd roared in support of Newt. Noted that Romney, correctly, refused comment while Santorum and Paul couldn't help but describe their marriages as comparisons to Newt's.

All candidates did well advocating that the best "programs" for getting the economy going again is to get the government out of the way of the free market. Romney said he would completely repeal ObamaCare (even though he has previously said otherwise.)

Newt offered best alternative to Barack's notion of putting your 26-year-old "kids" on your health insurance. Newt: improve economy so your adult kids can get a job, buy their own insurance and move out of your house.

Santorum going hard after Newt on individual mandate but looks frustrated that his punches don't seem to faze him. Paul reminds that Santorum supported Bush's Medicare expansion.

CNN announced that Newt released his taxes during the first segment. Clever. Ensures the pressure stays on Mitt and this issue is hurting him.

Second segment:
Mitt must enjoy that Santorum doubles down on attacking Newt as unstable, that "something's gonna pop." Mitt struggles to explain why he hasn't released taxes. Split screen: Santorum and Paul going after each other ... not sure how either gains no matter who wins. All 4 candidates oppose SOPA, Santorum seemed to be a little peeved about too much freedom on the internet ... can't imagine why.

My "half-time" score:
Newt picked up where he left off from last debate and is accelerating.
Mitt, as usual, is doing well. Never too many highs or lows ... or memorable moments.
Rick & Ron are both being left behind. Rick seems to know it.

Third segment:
Rick giving his swan song? Each asked what they'd change about their campaign. Santorum's answer sounded almost like an exit speech. Newt has gotten under Mitt's skin by discussing RomneyCare's approach to abortion.

Oops! Crowd had to remind John King that Ron Paul is still part of the debate.

Third segment drier than the first two. Of course, everything after that open Newt Gingrich barrage of John King for the ex-wife question was bound to go downhill. Rick & Ron still playing supporting roles.

Fourth & Final segment:
Ron Paul finally gets to talk about the debt. Newt Gingrich calls Barack Obama a "dangerous" president; stands up for GOP victories; doubles down on Lincoln-Douglas-style debates. Mitt Romney evokes Declaration of Independence; contrasts entitlement vs. empowerment societies. Rick Santorum boasts of his consistent record; boasts of ability to beat Democrats (despite being ousted from the Senate -- badly -- by one).

Final scorecard:
Half-time score holds: Newt is unmatched in debates. Mitt can certainly hold his own. Rick and Ron played supporting roles.

Santorum did nothing to reclaim the mantle of being the conservative alternative to Romney and Paul did nothing to reach beyond his current supporters. Romney did little to harm himself except for the labored explanation about his tax returns.

In some ways, the debate was over in the first 5 minutes when Newt Gingrich unloaded on John King for opening a presidential debate with salacious accusations from an ex-wife. The real match-up for this week is Good Newt vs. Bad Newt. Good Newt was on display in the debate. Bad Newt, at least according to ABCNews, is being dripped out in the media. My prediction: Good Newt wins this exchange and wins South Carolina.

(Pre-debate) Tweet of the Day

2012-01-19T19:03:00.000-06:00

via Legal Insurrection

Great response by Melissa Clothier. I'd actually argue, however, that Mitt Romney is our Bill Clinton, not in his personal life where he's the anti-Bill Clinton, but in his desire for political popularity above all things. That is his true north, the core of his belief system. All else bends in accordance.

Bizarre photos: Barack plays magical make-believe

2012-01-19T15:08:00.001-06:00

BuzzFeed: 13 Photos Of Barack Obama At Disney That Will Probably Turn Up In Attack Ads ... the perfect backdrop for discussing Obamanomics, green jobs, Obamacare and all the other fantasies of this administration.

Disneyworld is great, but did they think this through?

Newt Surging in South Carolina: Gingrich 33%, Romney 31%

2012-01-19T11:41:00.000-06:00

Rasmussen Reports:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has now surged ahead of Mitt Romney in the final Rasmussen Reports survey of the South Carolina Republican Primary race with the vote just two days away.

The latest telephone survey of Likely GOP Primary Voters in the state finds Gingrich with 33% support to Romney’s 31%. Two days ago, before the last debate, it was Romney by 14 percentage points.

I'll repeat: It's time for Rick Santorum put nation ahead of self.

Time for Rick Santorum to drop out and endorse Newt Gingrich [UPDATED]

2012-01-19T09:06:00.009-06:00

"If I don't win the primary Saturday, we will probably nominate a moderate and the odds are fairly high he will lose to Obama." -- Newt Gingrich

Here are the RCP Average GOP trends lines in South Carolia from January 1st through today. Gingrich's Bain Capital attack on Mitt Romney clearly backfired but Newt has stabilized and begun recovering. Romney has ticked upwards. [UPDATE: But has plateaued and even lost a little ground.] Perry has been stuck below 5 percent. Santorum is the interesting one. He had a clear boost out of Iowa and even overtook Gingrich for a brief time but has since dropped.

Ron Paul continues, in his own words, to be "nibbling" at heels.

The latest poll, InsiderAdvantage, has Newt by 3 points over Romney. [UPDATE: Rasmussen has Newt by 2 points.]

The Davy Crockett moment: Rick Perry decision to dropout and endorse Newt Gingrich deserves praise and will put these numbers in motion once again. It will also renew calls for Rick Santorum to drop out. Santorum's boomlet from Iowa, after absorbing much of Michele Bachmann's support, is fading, even with the newly declared "split decision" in Iowa.

Look at the RCP Average polls again. Rick Santorum has failed to become the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney and now plays the role of splitting the conservative vote. Is this the legacy that he and his supporters can accept?

UPDATE: Not to pile on Rick Santorum but one important fact that his supporters ignore: In his home state of Pennsylvania, John McCain in 2008 outperformed Rick Santorum in 2006, 44.3 percent vs. 41.3 percent. Just how bad was Rick Santorum’s 2006 reelection loss? Really bad.

Is Rick Santorum really the candidate most likely to beat Barack Obama?

Wolf Pack Roundup: Every night a dream date on your pillow...

2012-01-19T08:18:00.003-06:00

InstaVision: Ameritopia: Mark Levin Discusses the Utopian Unmaking of America

Washington Times: Unplug the Volt "... a Volt buyer would save $8,089 on gasoline over the vehicle’s lifetime, but only after paying $23,000 extra for the privilege of wearing a green halo." And that's before the taxpayer gets raked over.

Hey, look! Something shiny over there! Pelosi: We’ve Got Nothing to Do With This Criminal Occupy Mob. From: "God bless them for their spontaneity. It's independent ... it's young, it's spontaneous, and it's focused. And it's going to be effective." To: "...we don’t really have much of a connection..." Well, except for the public defecation.

DougRoss@Journal: Obama: Resolutely Determined to Do Absolutely Nothing About Iran. "Mr. Chamberlain, meet Mr. Obama."

Facebook photo of the day:

InsiderAdvantage Poll: Gingrich Now Leads Romney in South Carolina. Gingrich 32, Romney 29. RCP Average still has Romney by 7.6 points though.

Dick Morris: Newt Is Finally Newt Again. "The imposter who wallowed in negative ads; attacked capitalism at Bain Capital; and hemmed and hawed when asked about his role at Freddie Mac is gone. The real Newt Gingrich has returned!"

ICYMI: Tea Party to Canada: We’ll Beat Obama, Build Pipeline With You in 2013.

~~Dubya~~ ~~Dan Quayle~~ Joe Biden: “San Francisco Giants On Their Way To The Super Bowl”…

And finally, every night a dream date on your pillow...

Mainstream Media announces: We want Mitt! Readies "explosive" smear of Newt Gingrich.

2012-01-18T20:01:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Nancy Pelosi let the cat out of the bag that Democrats are hoping to face Mitt Romney in the general election. On cue, ABCNews now teases a hit piece on the only Republican who can stop Romney.

Drudge reports: NEWT EX-WIFE UNLOADS ON CAMERA; NETWORK DEBATES 'ETHICS' OF AIRING BEFORE SC PRIMARY

Marianne Gingrich has said she could end her ex-husband's career with a single interview.

Earlier this week, she sat before ABCNEWS cameras, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

She spoke to ABCNEWS reporter Brian Ross for two hours, and her explosive revelations are set to rock the trail.

But now a "civil war" has erupted inside of the network, an insider claims, on exactly when the confession will air!

Howard Kurtz tweets (via Legal Insurrection):

The MSM doesn't even try to disguise the fact that they are doing Barack Obama's bidding. They want Mitt and will stop at nothing to destroy Newt.

The same journalists who refuse to report on Barack Obama's association with convicted felons Rod Blagojevich and Tony Rezko, domestic terrorist Bill Ayers or anti-American Jeremiah Wright; the same journalists who repudiated Republicans for delving into the private life of Bill Clinton, is about to perform their version of a colonoscopy on Newt Gingrich.

Tea Party to Canada: We’ll Beat Obama, Build Pipeline With You in 2013

2012-01-18T19:21:00.000-06:00

Help is on the way!

Local tea party leaders from around the country who have organized the ElectionDayTeaParty.com website sent a message of encouragement today to the Canadian people and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“Today, President Obama decided to reject the proposed Keystone Pipeline, which would bring tens of thousands of jobs to both the United States and Canada,” said Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party. “In addition to creating jobs, the proposed Keystone Pipeline will also reduce our dependence on foreign energy. President Obama’s bad decision is yet another example of his continued rejection of free market principles. In this instance, Canada is embracing those principles while our own government is trampling upon them.

"Our message to the Canadian people is clear: the Tea Party is going to get out the vote to defeat Barack Obama and every incumbent supporter of collectivist statism in the election of 2012. When we win, the first agenda item after the repeal of ObamaCare will be the initiation of the Keystone Pipeline project.”

Go to the Election Day Tea Party and sign up. This is a movement that, with your help, will defeat Barack Obama and, as they say, every incumbent supporter of collectivist statism in the election of 2012.

My Washington Times latest: Newtering Obama’s re-election strategy

2012-01-18T08:36:00.000-06:00

My favorite readers' comments (so far ... my inbox runneth over):

"Wolf, your mind is stunted by your own arrogance. You can't comprehend Ron Paul, so you ignore him. How professional, how mature."

Can't comprehend Ron Paul? What does that even mean? By chance are you this guy in the green jacket? (BTW, my last column praised Ron Paul.)

"Dr. Milton, you are so radiantly wrong."

Ah, so you're saying I'm radiant...

"an old fool of a radiologist"

I got nothin'.

"Did you know that most Republicans want all Wolves dead?"

No. No, I did not.

______________________

As the Republican primaries heat up, it's not too early to consider how developments might effect the general race this fall. The White House should be concerned.

[Illustration: Obama’s free market by Linas Garsys for The Washington Times]

Newtering Obama’s re-election strategy
Failure of Gingrich’s anti-capitalism attacks doesn’t bode well for president

The White House cannot be happy with the recent developments in the GOP primary race. In a bizarre turn of events, the very campaign strategy that the Democrats are just salivating to use against the now presumptive Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, had its first test run in New Hampshire, and it failed. Miserably.

I was disappointed that Newt Gingrich chose to go after Mitt Romney over Bain Capital rather than his big-government record in Massachusetts. As you may know, I'm inclined towards Newt but I had no choice, in fact I proudly join Club For Growth and Rush Limbaugh, to defend free-market capitalism no matter who assaults it.

Blaming the venture capitalist for the failure of a company is like blaming the transplant surgeon for the car crash that, while sad, supplied lifesaving donor organs to desperate souls. At least in the business world, as opposed to the unforgiving practice of medicine, the employees of a dying firm can go elsewhere for work, and their lives go on. Surely we’d all agree that workers are better off moving to viable companies than being stuck in dying ones.

The simple truth is that in a free market, not all businesses succeed, but our economy as a whole can still thrive when resources - both capital and labor - are freely redirected from failing ideas to successful ones.

Baffling to me is why Rick Perry joined Newt Gingrich in this line of attack after it backfired on Newt in New Hampshire.

Not to be outdone, Texas Gov. Rick Perry decided to add to this theater of the bizarre with his own attack on free enterprise. His new insult to Mr. Romney - calling him a “vulture capitalist” - belongs on an Occupy Wall Street protest sign, not in a Republican primary. So Mr. Perry, the newly self-anointed arbiter of which investments are virtuous, claimed Mr. Romney “picked the flesh off the carcass” of a company while 150 people lost their jobs.

Mr. Perry, do you even listen to the words that are falling out of your mouth? If your own description is correct, if a company is dying - or is already dead, a “carcass,” as you say - wouldn’t the smartest course of action be to save whatever can be salvaged? Think this through. Would you prefer instead that those 150 people stay with a carcass of a company? And how exactly would they receive paychecks from their dead company? Government bailouts? Subsidies? Propping up dying companies is Obamanomics.

I suspect Newt would privately agree that his Bain strategy was ill-advised. And this is not to say that Mitt Romney's record at Bain should not be examined. It should. But blaming the venture capitalist for failed ventures is wrong. The bigger point, however, is that the White House's class warfare strategy was given a test run and it failed. Miserably.

Swing by The Washington Times and read it all. Leave a comment. And as always, thanks for sharing it on your blog, Facebook, Twitter and everywhere else the cool kids hang out.