Many apologies for the light posting of last week.  I was overcome by professional and domestic duties which understandably interfere with blogging from time to time. 

On to the roundup of recent headlines. 

The Page’s Mark Halperin has excerpts from Hannity’s interview with Mitt.  Mitt gets in quite a few zingers aimed at Hillary, but this one is what will make the soundbyte rounds for the next few weeks: 

MITT: I think the greatest drawback beyond the direction she’d take us is that she’s never run anything. She’s never had the occasion of being in the private sector, running a business, or, for that matter, running a state or a city. She hasn’t run anything, and the government of the United States is not a place for a president to be an intern. You need to have experience actually leading and running things. 

HANNITY: She says her experience makes her uniquely qualified to be president at this time. 

MITT: I’d suggest it makes her uniquely unqualified in that she is one of the few that really has not had experience in leading in a significant way an enterprise of some kind, to know how you bring teams together, how you work on key challenges, how you’re able to bring together public support and pull the organization in a direction that allows it to be successful. 

A “Uniquely Unqualified Intern”.  I’d say that’s a pretty concise description of Hillary’s astonishingly thin presidential resume.  Check out the video here.

The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder writes about Mitt’s campaign to “close the deal” in New Hampshire.  Contrast this with Political Derby’s David Kaiser and his post on Rudy’s Granite State push.  Kaiser is right – if Mitt sweeps Iowa, New Hampshire, and Michigan, the primary race will be a foregone conclusion. 

The Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes (via FoxNews) puts in print what most political observers have already figured out.  It’s a two man race at this point.  Sorry Team Huckabee. 

Also from FoxNews, Martin Frost pens a surprisingly well written Op-Ed piece about Mitt and the religious discrimination he faces.  Here’s the best graphs: 

My late wife Kathy, who served in the U.S. Army for 31 years, is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The person in the grave next to her is a Mormon. 

Mormons pay taxes, can wear the uniform of our county, and can die for our country. There are Mormon members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. And yet significant numbers of voters believe they are not qualified to serve as president. 

I love my country. But that doesn’t mean that my country doesn’t disappoint me from time to time. 

Well stated and argued, Mr. Frost. 

The Keokuk Gate City has a Chris Faulkner piece on Mitt’s visit to Fort Madison.  Basic stump speech stuff here – I just like the sound of the word Keokuk. 

The National Journal’s Jane Roh chides Mitt on his alleged decision to take part in the CNN/YouTube Circus.  C’mon, Jane.  Was that really worth the bandwidth? 

New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg has endorsed Mitt.  Gregg holds a lot of sway up there in the Granite State. 

All I can say to Herman Cain’s piece is a good hearty, heart felt “amen”. 

Florida’s WINK has a lengthy interview with Mitt. 

Take Mitt’s tour of Hillary’s House of Horrors. 

Naples Daily News’ Kathleen Cullinan summarizes Mitt’s swamp buggy visit to South Florida. 

Bloomberg’s Nichols & Stern explore (again) the perceived Mormon/Christian divide. Evidently the authors found several rabid “evangeilical” who get their collective boxers in a bunch when Mitt proclaims himself to be a Christian.  Well, I have a message for people like Representative Bob Inglis and Richard Land:  Neither of you are qualified to stand at the gates of Christendom and judge who and who is not fit to enter.  That, Mr. Land, is a fight you will lose every single time.  End Memo. 

The Bismark Tribune’s Jonathan Rivoli reports on Mitt’s win of a straw poll in the Great White Frozen North Country. 

The Washington Post’s Michael Shear reports on Mitt’s encounter with a 15 year old wanna-be punk at an upscale “prep-school”.  The kid got schooled – and he knows it. 

Tom Tancredo really needs a better campaign harbinger. 

Politico’s Jeanne Cummings reports on Mitt’s Money Machine. 

I don’t really like taking shots at fellow republicans, but these details about Huckabee will slip out sooner or later.  HT – E4M.

USAToday’s DeWayne Wickham understands neither religion or politics and does a great job of illustrating this fact in his column today. 

As much as I hate friendly fire, Townhall’s Patrick Ruffini completely misses the point.  Mitt can, does, and will “out-conservative” Huckabee and Thompson.  Nice try, Patrick.  Try harder next time. 

Media Matters is really hard up for things to write about.  Who is K.H. and why does he or she have time to research this stuff?  In other words, who cares? 

Arizona Wildcat Eric Moll wants to become a mole inside Mitt’s campaign.  His stated goal is to “bring the campaign down from the inside”.  Well, one would think someone wanting to do that wouldn’t a) broadcast it to the world, and b) do it someplace with a picture.  Good luck, Eric.  We’ll be watching. 

NRO’s Jim Geraghty thinks Mitt has a pretty strong primary poker hand. 

The AP’s Glen Johnson continues to hammer the Mormon issue.  One would think he’d be tired of that tack by now. 

This is just a bit absurd – or naïve.  I’m not sure which. 

Oops. 

Human Events has the Top 10 donors to Mitt’s campaign.

I’ll start today by referencing the New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza and his biographical piece on Mitt.  All in all it’s a good piece of work, though Lizza seems more interested in Mitt’s choice in hair products than the actual message. 

Mitt went on CBS’ Face the Nation yesterday.  Whoever wrote the summary for KPIX needs to have their head examined to see if any gray matter can be found.  This is the opening sentence: 

Despite his Mormon faith and the evolution in his position on abortion rights, Mitt Romney insists that he is a consistent conservative and the best choice for Republican voters. 

Would somebody please tell me where being a Mormon conflicts with being a conservative?  No, Senator Reid, I’m not asking you. 

Bloomberg’s Nicholas Johnston reports on the closest remark Mitt will make about LDS Church influence on his decisions as President.  Again, quoting from Face the Nation: 

No president could possibly take orders or even input from religious leaders telling him what to do. My church wouldn’t endeavor to tell me what to do on an issue, and I wouldn’t listen to them on an issue that related to our nation. 

A reminder to new readers, the LDS Church goes to great lengths to maintain political neutrality – something the MSM neglects to ever mention.  The Salt Lake Tribune reprints a Washington Post column by Mosk and Solomon detailing Mitt’s use of his Bain & Company contacts for his Presidential campaign.  Nothing new there. 

 

The AP’s Amy Lorentzen quotes Mitt as being an equal opportunity whacker of democratic opponents.  Its important to be fair. 

The New York Times recently took its Op-Ed page back to the free side.  I’m not really sure the Gail Collins piece is worth the time it took to read it. 

Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi writes an exceptionally long anti-Mitt tirade which informs the reader that Matt has trouble picking up women in bars.  Other than that, it’s a waste of space. 

CNN’s Gary Tuchman says if you want to understand Mitt, you need to understand his time as an LDS missionary in France.   I’m sure Tuchman has a point, though reading his article doesn’t help find it.

If you’re looking for a good roundup of the Florida debate, Mitt’s crack PR staff has the relevant clips here.

Though I wasn’t present at the FRC event last night, I’d like to point out MItt’s best line of the night.  Many people (especially those affiliated with the MSM) believed the FRC speech would be Mitt’s JFK moment.

For their benefit, here is the only mention of religion in the entire speech:

By the way – a few of you may have heard that I’m a Mormon. I understand that some people think they couldn’t support someone of my faith. That may be because they’ve listened to Harry Reid.
 

There you have it folks.  Have a good night.

Blogfather Hugh reports on yet another big-name evangelical endorsement for Mitt.  Hugh’s interview with Dr. Wayne Grudem is here.  Dr. Gruedem wrote and editorial at Townhall detailing the reasons for his endorsement.  You takes the compliments you gets. 

Speaking of evangelical endorsements, CBN’s David Brody has news on Don Wilton’s support for Mitt. 

The AP’s Liz Sidoti comments on Mitt’s efforts to woo social conservatives.  She mentions McCain, though I’m not really sure why. 

This flier is making the rounds at the FRC conference. 

 

Speaking of the FRC conference, don’t forget to vote in the online poll.  Mitt speaks there tonight – should be interesting. 

The Hill’s Kevin Bogardus reports on rumors that Mitt might cut a large check to his campaign in January for the final primary push.  Look, people, this primary is going to be over (for all intents and purposes) in less than three months.  Mitt knows that money in the bank won’t do him any good after that date.  As for the constant mention of how much money he has, all I can say is “Ain’t capitalism great?” 

Politico’s Roger Simon insists on flogging the almost dead Mormon issue one more time.  Memo to Roger:  Check the news.  End Memo. 

I know this is on your mind – what’s Hillary! has been up to in the Senate.  Well, she’s been doing her level best to ear mark millions of taxpayer dollars for her state for important projects like a museum dedicated to the Hippie Mecca of Woodstock.  No, I’m not making that up.  This is what a candidate for this nation’s highest office is concerned about.  Still think she’s qualified for the big chair?

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