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    So have you seen the actual Mitt "I like being able to fire people" line? If not, here it is.

    Josh Marshall

    Nails It

    James Fallows really nails it on Romney's "I like being able to fire people" line. Yes, he wasn't talking about employees. And it's been taken out of context. But anyone who's ever had to fire someone knows it's about as unpleasant and hard as you can imagine. The word itself is charged enough it's a bit hard to imagine putting 'like' in front of it. And that's why it's sticking.

    Josh Marshall

    Club for Growth Explodes on Newt

    The Club for Growth, custodian of the gods of cutthroat laissez-faire capitalism, blasts Newt Gingrich for attacking Romney's private equity awesomeness.

    Josh Marshall

    Pile On!

    Everybody piles on Mitt for stumbling into saying he likes firing people. (Of course, he didn't really mean that. But we seem to be far past that at this point.)

    Josh Marshall

    'Pious Baloney'

    Newt dinged Mitt in Sunday's debate for repeatedly claiming that he had never envisioned, sought or pursued a career in politics. Newt has a point on this one. As Benjy Sarlin and Evan McMorris-Santoro reports, Mitt's #humblebrag on this score is a key part of his new and improved bio for the 2012 race.

    David Kurtz

    The Boffo Awfulness

    In the preceding post I referenced this swift-boat-style 'documentary' on Mitt Romney and Bain Capital which the Gingrich-backing SuperPAC (Winning Our Future) has bought and will use as the battering ram against Romney in South Carolina. They've put up a trailer for it now which you can see after the jump. It really is right out of the Swift Boat witch's brew, the camp lighting, rumbling black clouds, the cinematography of 30 second hit ads expanded out longform.

    Just watch ...

    Read More →
    Josh Marshall

    Newt's Friend Antes Up

    BERJAYA

    Last night I saw a link on Twitter to the news that Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire casino mogul had given $5 million to a Gingrich-backing SuperPAC to run a brutal series of ads against Mitt Romney in South Carolina. (The ad campaign will be based on snippets from a half-hour swift-boat style 'documentary' about Mitt's time at Bain Capital.) I knew this was big if for no other reason than the fact that $5 million thrown at a relatively small state like South Carolina over little more than a week is enough to totally change the calculus of a race. After all, the whole story of Iowa is that Romney's backers had enough money to crush Gingrich with a massive bombardment of negative ads. Gingrich simply had no money to respond.

    But there's much more afoot here.

    Read More →
    Josh Marshall

    This Ain't Beanbag!

    Relive the highlights of Sunday's debate, all in only 100 seconds. Warning: contains "pious baloney" and beanbags.

    Thomas Lane
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    IdeaLab Carl Franzen

    CES 2012: Samsung Wows With App Controlled Washing Machine, TVs

    LAS VEGAS -- Smartphones, what smartphones? Samsung, the world's smartphone king by shipment numbers, unveiled a bevvy of new products during its presser at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday. But only of those was a new smartphone -- the tablet-like Galaxy Note -- and that was officially premiered at a separate AT&T event. That didn't stop Samsung from wowing its crowd of assembled reporters and observers online with new motion and voice-controlled 3D TV sets and a washing...
    TPM2012 Pema Levy

    Newt Goes Ballistic On Pretty Much Everyone

    This fall, Newt Gingrich would make the same closing argument at every debate: "everybody on this stage," he liked to say, would be better than Barack Obama. Slowly, however, that narrative has been replaced with a desire to take down every one of his opponents, even if it damages Republican chances next November. When Newt rocketed to the top of the polls in December, he had little money or organization to sustain his momentum against a barrage of negative ads from pro-Romney Super PAC Restore Our...
    TPM2012 Michael Lester

    Day In 100 Seconds: This Diner Ain't Beanbag

    This weekend's debates did two things: first of all they cemented pundits' impressions of Mitt Romney as the GOP frontrunner; and second, Mitt Romney gave us the immortal phrase, "Politics ain't beanbag." Now the candidates are flooding New Hampshire, and apparently if you're a candidate courting voters, or a hungry TV reporter keen for a story, there's only one place in the state to see and be seen...
    TPMDC Eric Kleefeld

    Indiana Dems End Legislative Boycott -- For Now

    Democrats in the Indiana legislature have ended their walkout of the state House, which was tying up a bill that would hinder labor unions. But they're not promising that they won't do it again. The Indianapolis Star reports that Republican leaders now hope to hold two key votes: One on Thursday, on changes to the bill that were made in a special joint House/Senate committee last week, and a final vote on passage on Friday. But state House Minority Leader Pat Bauer (D) is still not declaring defeat:
    Muckraker Ryan J. Reilly

    Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments In Texas Redistricting Case

    The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday in a case that could have big legal consequences in Texas this election year as well as portend an uncertain future for Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The justices seemed to struggle with how to handle a case focusing on Texas redistricting given the tight time constrains and the need to implement some map for the 2012 election. At issue is whether a panel of federal judges in San Antonio had gone too far when they drew up interim redistricting maps...
    TPMDC Brian Beutler

    Hill Dems Celebrate As White House Chief Of Staff Is Replaced

    It's well known in Washington that outgoing White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley had a dysfunctional relationship with Capitol Hill -- particularly with Democrats there. And early signs suggest the new Chief of Staff -- Jack Lew, who has run the Office of Management and Budget for over a year -- will by comparison receive a warm welcome. "Folks up here will view Lew as a big improvement," says one highly placed Democratic Hill aide. "It's hard to see Lew making the same mistakes his predecessor did...
    TPM2012 Benjy Sarlin

    Newt Goes Full 'Occupy Wall Street' Against Romney

    MANCHESTER, NH -- "You have to ask the question, is capitalism really about the ability of a handful of rich people to manipulate the lives of thousands of people and then walk off with the money?" Who said it -- Elizabeth Warren? Dennis Kucinich? Noam Chomsky? Not quite, that was Newt Gingrich talking to reporters at an energy company in Manchester on Monday about his new effort to paint Mitt Romney as a greedy one-percenter who finds "clever legal ways" to go about "looting a company" while screwing...
    TPMDC Brian Beutler

    Hmmm... Santorum's Healthcare Pitch Sounds An Awful Lot Like Obamacare For The Elderly

    Ever since Republicans in Congress voted overwhelmingly for Paul Ryan's budget, the GOP has expected its leading Presidential candidates to back a similar Medicare privatization scheme. Most of them have followed suit. Rick Santorum is trying to have it both ways. During Sunday morning's NBC debate, the come-from-behind winner of the Iowa caucuses talked about his Medicare pitch to voters.
    TPM2012 Pema Levy

    D'oh! Romney Says 'I Like Being Able To Fire People'

    If there's one thing Mitt Romney's opponents want him to say, it's the word "fire," as in, to fire employees. Both his Republican rivals and Democrats are going after his record at Bain Capital, and Romney is trying to deflect accusations that he is responsible for laying-off a lot of workers. But today, Romney said the one sentence he should never say. "I like being able to fire people who provide services to me," Romney said to an audience in Nashua, New Hampshire.
    TPM2012 David Taintor

    After Scuffle With Current TV, Olbermann Will Anchor Election Coverage After New Hampshire

    Keith Olbermann never left Current TV. But now that it's been announced he will anchor special election coverage for the left-leaning network for primaries following New Hampshire, things appear to be getting back to normal. "I am pleased that I'll be running the election coverage on Current, following this Tuesday's New Hampshire primary," Olbermann said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "However, I don't think those participating in the New Hampshire primary will share my satisfaction."
    IdeaLab Carl Franzen

    CES 2012: Keeping Up With The Drones

    LAS VEGAS -- Even before the Consumer Electronics Show press preview on Sunday, 2012 was shaping up to be the year drones crossed over from military into civilian life. But now, you too can own a piece of the high-spying action thanks to three new drone-inspired consumer gadgets unveiled at CES. First up is the "Wi-Spi" pair of drones -- one mini helicopter and one RC car -- from Interactive Toy Concepts, a Canadian company. Due out in fall 2012, both devices offer the budding amateur spy surprisingly ...
    IdeaLab Carl Franzen

    State Dept: Online Piracy Is 'Very Serious' But No Stance On SOPA

    Spanish newspaper El Pais published a story last Wednesday, January 4, that sent chills down the spines of a number of American tech writers. The story described a leaked letter published by Wikileaks, sent in mid-December 2011 by Alan D. Solomont, U.S. ambassador to Spain and Andorra, addressed to the Spanish government, in which Solomont threatened to put the country on an international diplomatic blacklist if it didn't enact a "SOPA-style censorship law," that had been passed last year, as the blog ...
    TPM2012 David Taintor

    Dogs And Jogs: See The Best Photos From Rick Perry's Twitter Feed

    After a disappointing fifth-place finish in Iowa, Texas Gov. Rick Perry took his presidential campaign full speed into South Carolina. And as TPM's Evan McMorris-Santoro reports, it could be his campaign's last stand. In Iowa last week, Perry said he was taking time to "reassess" this campaign. Only hours later, he emphatically tweeted, "Here we come South Carolina!!!" But that wasn't all. Attached to the tweet is a picture of the Texan in full jogging gear giving the thumbs up. Looking through his...
    TPM2012 Pema Levy

    Today On The Trail: January 9, 2012

    The New Hampshire primary is tomorrow. While polls still show Mitt Romney with a safe lead in the state, second and third places are up for grabs. Three polls out Sunday all had different numbers. Here are the 10 things you need to know today. Public Policy Polling shows Romney with big lead in NH : Public Policy Polling has released its final poll before the New Hampshire primary. They see Romney "headed for a comfortable win in New Hampshire" with 35% and the rest of the field very close together. Ron: ...
    IdeaLab Carl Franzen

    CES 2012: Consumer Electronics Assoc. Takes Aim At Apple Fans

    LAS VEGAS -- Apple won't be missed at the 2012 Consumer Electronic Show (CES), at least according to the chief economist of the event's organizing body. Shawn DuBravac, chief economist and director of research with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which hosts the annual, week-long international gadget parade, started the 2012 show off with a bang during his State of the Industry speech on Sunday night -- taking aim at those gadget writers and Apple fans who demean the show's importance by...
    TPM2012 Benjy Sarlin

    Has Rick Santorum Gone Soft On Gays?

    Rick Santorum, best known for his fiery opposition to gay rights, offered up a surprisingly earnest olive branch when questioned on the topic on Sunday's GOP debate. But has he actually changed his tune at all? "I would be a voice in speaking out for making sure that every person in America, gay or straight, is treated with respect and dignity and has the equality of opportunity," Santorum said after asking if he'd be a "voice for gay rights" in the GOP. "That does not mean that I would agree with...
    TPM2012 Benjy Sarlin & Evan McMorris-Santoro

    Mitt Romney Never Intended To Run For President -- Honest!

    A fixture of Mitt Romney's second run for president is how little interest Romney claims to have in actually running for president. On the trail, Romney often downplays his interest in politics, and suggests his extremely professional and highly expensive campaign for the White House is something of a lark. "I never imagined that I would be running for President of the United States," I heard Romney tell a crowd in Council Bluffs, Iowa a couple days before the caucuses. "I spent my life in business. I ...
    TPMDC Brian Beutler

    The Rapid Economic Recovery Republicans Are Praying Against

    Everything that's supposed to happen in politics this year, and everything that has happened for the last several months, has been premised on the tacit, but seemingly safe assumption: The economy will remain weak for years. This has underlined Congressional jobs bill theatrics, campaign rhetoric about Obama's record, debates about who's to blame for high unemployment, and which party best represents the interests of the middle class. But what if that assumption is wrong?
    TPM2012 Benjy Sarlin

    Carl Paladino Trash-Talks The Entire GOP Field (Except Newt)

    MANCHESTER, NH -- Ron Paul's about to "get on the mother-ship and go back to the mother planet," Rick Perry's going nowhere unless it's to "hang around the shooting range," and Jon Huntsman clearly loves the Chinese so much he "should move to China." So says former New York gubernatorial candidate and current Newt Gingrich supporter Carl Paladino. I met the former tea party favorite lurking behind the bar at Don Quixote's Mexican restaurant here in Manchester, as Gingrich delivered a lengthy...
    TPM2012 Pema Levy

    Republicans Rebut Bain Attacks With Bizarre Solyndra Analogy

    On Sunday, Republicans tried to fend off Democratic attacks on Mitt Romney's record at Bain Capital, by drawing the following analogy: Romney is to Bain Capital as President Obama is to Solyndra. It began on Fox News Sunday, when host Chris Wallace turned to his guest, DNC Chairwoman and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) with a question comparing Romney's work at Bain to President Obama's relationship to the failed solar energy company Solyndra, which went bankrupt after receiving a $535 million:::: ...
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