Source Behind Harry Reid's Claim on Romney's Taxes Revealed

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), from TPM

Back during the 2012 presidential campaign, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (one of my state's Senators) made a bit of news challenging GOP candidate Mitt Romney to release his tax records. Reid had an anonymous source that said Mitt hadn't actually had to pay taxes in years. But he wouldn't reveal his source (and, not incidentally, Mittens never released his tax records either). Many conservatives alleged that Reid was making it up. Looks like they were wrong.

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Book: Huntsman Sr. Told Reid That Mitt Didn’t Pay Taxes For 10 Years
 
The word is finally out. The source of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) infamous claim during the 2012 presidential campaign that Mitt Romney had not paid any taxes in 10 years was Jon Huntsman Sr., the father of fellow GOP rival Jon Huntsman, according to a new book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann called “Double Down. . ."

Read more at: Talking Points Memo

Breaking News: Jon Huntsman Dropping Out of Race

Yeah, I'm a little fuzzy on a couple of these guys.

Interesting. Weird timing, actually, since not much has happened in the last couple of days. And so, the "not-Romney" field is winnowed down before even the third state votes. Huntsman was arguably the most broadly palatable candidate, though he tacked hard right in recent weeks. That really leaves Mitt (who the right hates) and Newt (who has a host of problems). Way to go, Republicans!

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Sources: Huntsman to drop out of 2012 race tomorrow, endorse Romney 

Jon Huntsman, the former Utah governor who was seen by Democrats months ago as the potential biggest threat to President Obama in a general election, is dropping out of the race tomorrow and will endorse Mitt Romney, a campaign official confirms to POLITICO. . .

Read more at: Politico

Mitt 1st, Paul 2nd, Huntsman 3rd

Another first: an excited crowd for Mittens. Image from LA Times

First place Mitt Romney wasn't a surprise in New Hampshire. In fact, for a long time, it has been almost a foregone conclusion. The question was, will he win big? Not big enough? I don't think it matters. The optics have him winning twice in a row. That's the biggest head of steam Romney has managed to date in this contest. The big news is Ron Paul in second and Jon Huntsman third. Those are the best showings either is likely to get, unless a massive change in momentum results. I can't picture 76-year-old Paul as President. And I can't picture Jon Huntsman--the seemingly sanest* one of the bunch--winning over the tea baggers.

*Huntsman may be comparatively sane. But his support of the Medicare-killing Ryan plan (among other things) makes him just as unacceptable to me.


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Mitt Romney wins New Hampshire GOP primary

Reporting from Manchester, N.H.—

Mitt Romney rolled to an easy victory Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary, taking a broad stride toward capturing the GOP presidential nomination as the contest heads south for a pair of potentially make-or-break contests. . .

Read more at: Los Angeles Times

2012 Presidential Checklist (Updated)

Here's the tally, in case you're not keeping score:

Donald Trump - OUT
Michele Bachmann - IN (but fading)
Newt Gingrich - IN (somehow)
Mike Huckabee - OUT
Tim Pawlenty - OUT
Willard M. Romney - IN
Mitch Daniels - OUT
Sarah Palin - OUT (you betcha)
Ron Paul - IN (but out of his mind)
Herman Cain - IN (and leading)
Rick Santorum - IN (don't Google him!)
Haley Barbor - OUT
Rick Perry - IN (but bleeding)
Jon Huntsman - IN (sane but getting nowhere)
Thaddeus McCotter - IN (who?)
Gary Johnson - IN (again, who?)
Chris Christie - OUT (all over)
Fred Karger - IN (but he's out!)

Another GOP Debate. . .

Two Mannequins, one brain. Image from source, MSNBC

Okay, here's a liberal's take from Wednesday's GOP debate on MSNBC:

- Mitt Romney came across as the winner. He's not crazy, and he never stumbled
- Rick Perry is fairly good in this format--if you're not really listening. Otherwise, he's kind of a loose cannon, and I don't think his extreme views on Social Security are going to serve him well.
- Michele Bachmann slid into 2nd-tier status. She seemed no more relevant than Rick Santorum.
- Rick Santorum seems desperate, and has no business in the forum, considering the fact that several other candidates--who poll as high as he does--were shut out.
- Ron Paul got to talk a lot. As usual, he's a Cuisinart mix of common sense and crazy. Mostly crazy.
- Herman Cain has a 9-9-9 plan. What's that upside down, Herm? No traction for Herman.
- Jon Huntsman came across very well for someone on one of the bottom rungs. I don't think it'll help him, but he's the only one of the bunch I'd vote for.
- Newt Gingrich is feisty and grouchy, but stands as much chance as I do of becoming the 2012 GOP nominee.


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Perry, Romney lock horns at GOP debate

Eager to tangle, Republican presidential rivals Rick Perry and Mitt Romney sparred vigorously over job creation and Social Security Wednesday night in a lively campaign debate that marked a new turn in the race to pick a 2012 challenger to President Barack Obama. . .

Read more at: MSNBC

FOX "News" Hosts GOP Debate in Iowa

I'd go for a Snow White reference, but Bachmann is the short one.
Image from source, MSNBC.

So, who won? I'd say FOX "News," who really did a pretty good job. And yes, that surprises me a lot. Not that everyone thought so. Newt Gingrich pointedly criticized the hosts for asking what he called "gotcha" questions. Except that they weren't really gotchas, they were just things that Gingrich didn't want to answer.

But Newt actually had a fairly good night. Though his posturing and strutting was fairly transparent, he at least made a showing. I mean, who knew he was still in this thing? Rick Santorum struggled to get noticed, at one point going into an almost Tourette's Syndrome spew of social issue talking points: Gay marriage! Abortion! Polygamy! Ron Paul got in a few crowd pleasers, but he always brings his own (easy to please) crowd. 


Herman Cain got in a good joke, but it was one easily turned back on himself. Mitt Romney didn't hurt or particularly help himself, as far as I could tell, so he holds even. Jon Huntsman came across as occasionally too RINO for this crowd (and too right-wing for any Obama defectors).  And that just leaves the big showdown of the night:


The Minnesota Twins. Michele Bachmann (in rather unflattering lighting) and T-Paw himself, Tim Pawlenty faced off. Pawlenty--stung by an earlier wimpy performance--tried to be all scrappy. He tore into Bachmann's record, and though he didn't hold back, still seemed rather flaccid. Bachmann was ready for him, and gave it back with steely determination. I still think she's batshit crazy, and has her history and civics all chopped up like a Sarah Palin word salad. But she's good in this venue.


So, I'd declare Bachmann the winner, at least on style points. I think she'd get at best a D- grade on her facts, and policy positions. Plus, she's got an extremely minority opinion, saying that the debt ceiling shouldn't have been raised, and that she's been proven right about that. Also, though T-Paw was kind of a wimpy fighter, he did point out for everybody exactly where to hit her. So it might be a hollow win.


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GOP race crowded, uncertain following debate 

If you like clean, predictable campaign story lines, the 2012 Republican contest isn’t going to be for you. . .


Read more at: MSNBC