Gingrich Goes Negative on Mitt – And Reveals His Own Shortcomings

Yes, this video put together by the Newt Gingrich team does show a greatest hits list of Romney bloopers (although there are more that didn’t make this cut, such as when he pretended to be goosed by waitresses in a diner, or when he claimed in front of unemployed people to understand their plight because he is unemployed too, or more, more, more). But the most revealing line in it, to me, is the premise underlying it: that Romney will never win in a debate with the presumably much smarter and better spoken Obama — and that this is what matters most.

I think Gingrich honestly believes that governing is all about what words you choose and the mental abstractions you amuse yourself and those listening in awe with. There is no sound more lovely to Gingrich than that of his own voice, but a president needs traits other than pontification and bloviation. He, or one day, she, needs judgment and sanity and a willingness to be, as we so often think of Obama when the subject of Congress comes up, the adult in the room. Million dollar credit lines at Tiffany and trophy wives and egos that don’t fit through the door equip someone to be president no better than does constantly saying stupid things in public.

So yeah, Mitt’s an idiot. But Gingrich doesn’t even get why he’s no upgrade.

The White House Just Can’t Keep a Secret

If we wanted this event to be a secret, we probably wouldn’t have invited the press corps to cover it, release photos of it to Flickr or post a video from it on the White House website.

The White House, quoted by Politico, reacting to assertions made in a new book called “The Obamas.” The book claims the president and first lady threw an Alice in Wonderland themed Halloween party on the down-low, hoping to avoid Marie Antoinette comparisons during the recession.

Gay Couples Paying Marriage Excise Tax Under DOMA

$6,000

The average amount higher that same-sex married couples pay in income taxes than their man-lady counterparts, even in states where same-sex marriage is legal. The problem is the federal government following the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), put in place under Pres. Bill Clinton and which defines marriage as an arrangement between one man and one woman. The Obama administration has declined to defend DOMA in court but Congress may defend do so and Speaker of the House John Boehner has announced intentions to continue to do exactly that.

Unemployment Rate Shows Improvement Despite Republicans’ Best Efforts

chart-unemployment-rate-thru-11-2011

Three polls released in November found that about half of those surveyed believed that Republicans have sabotaged the economic recovery. That they would deliberately stall economic growth — a betrayal of the interests of their constituents — is a measure of how debased the Republican Party has become since the tea party seized control.

There have been improvements in the job market, despite their best efforts. Jon Terbush suggests the slight but steady uptick may help the president in the campaign next year:

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As Gingrich Rises in Polls, Obama, Romney Fade

Three man race? Obama, Romney and Gingrich
Three man race? Obama, Romney and Gingrich

It is not hyperbolic to suggest that the future of America’s prosperity hangs in the balance in the next election. But less than a year out from the vote on Nov. 6, 2012, current polling finds 1) bad news, 2) theoretically better news but then 3) the worst development yet.

1. The bad news:

[…]

Van Jones Calls Out Progressives

I thought progressives were too quick to go from hopey to mopey. They skipped the fight in the middle…You hear people talking about a disappointment [in Obama] and this kind of thing. I’m still of the view it was never, ‘Yes, he can.’ It’s supposed to be, ‘Yes, we can.’ And the ‘we’ was not evident in a couple of those years.

— Van Jones, former Green Energy Czar in the Obama administration. Jones left that post after being targeted by Glenn Beck for calling Republicans “assholes” before he joined the government. It was also noted he once signed a 911Truth.org petition asking for more information about 9/11.