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Mitt Romney, my personal favorite front-runner for 2012 on our side just performed a rare *suuuuuhuuckification* on the Hugh Hewitt radio show this afternoon in Hewitt's second segment. (Holy God Hugh, if you ever bore me again as you did in that first segment teasing a Romney appearance, I swear it will be worth my time to drop everything and drive to the OC so I can personally explain to you my displeasure.) No kidding, I think Mitt is the only one who even stands a chance against Zero. (Will save how he would have mopped the floor with Zero...

Prominent New Hampshire Republican Judd Gregg says that Sarah Palin just might have a clearer path to the Republican presidential nomination next year than commonly understood – an event he warns would lead to President Obama's clear reelection. Gregg, the former senator and governor of the Granite State, says the muddled GOP presidential field means it's more likely than ever there won't be a clear consensus candidate before the party's nominating convention in August of 2012. If that happens, says Gregg, Palin and her army of supporters might have the upper hand when it comes to settling on a presidential...

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown said he has no plans to run for president next year, but will support Mitt Romney if the former Republican Massachusetts governor jumps in the race.

Mike Huckabee may be especially tempted to run in 2012 by a lingering feud between him and Mitt Romney, a severe hangover from the 2008 campaign that has created a lasting and bitter rift between the two, Republicans who know both men say. “[Huckabee] hates Mitt, and his goal in Iowa last time was to stop him,” said one prominent Republican, who’s known both men for years. “If he sees an opportunity to cut Mitt off [during the nominating process], he will take it.” Continue Reading Huckabee and Romney were never exactly pals before the Iowa caucuses two years ago...

Today's highlighted links of the LDS Church and its members in news coverage include Huffington Post-published predictions of a Mormon in the White House and the Book of Mormon on the New York Times' best-seller list within the next two years as well as a look at Utah Catholics anxious to share Temple Square with their out-of-state peers. HuffPo's "What Will Be The Top Religion Stories of 2012" offering leads off with two bold predictions regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "1. "2. The Book of Mormon will be on the New York Times Bestsellers list throughout...

Washington is replete with idiots, but Senate Republicans seem to have the highest incidence of political idiocy in the entire capital.

WASHINGTON --Reince Priebus was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee on Friday after Michael Steeledropped his bid to stay atop the party for another two years. Priebus clinched the victory after seven rounds, securing 97 votes, more than the 85 required to win. Steele dropped out of the race after four rounds. "At this time, I will step aside for others to lead," Steele told the168 RNC committee members at the Gaylord Resort in National Harbor, Md. "But in so doing, I hope y'all appreciate the legacy we leave. Despite the noise -- because lord know we had a...

Andrea Michell is discussing Sarah Palin (what a surprise) with Democrat David Bonier and Republican strategist Vin Weber, here's the video of Weber. ------- MITCHELL: "She had the choice of when to speak and the tone. and one has to wonder why doesn't she have a wider circling of advisers. i don't know any political strategist of a national campaign, republican or democrat who thinks that was a smart thing to do. VIN WEBER: "Well, we really don't know who advises her. She's quite isolated from what you might think of as the Republican establishment. No one is quite sure...

In a much hyped battle for chairmanship of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Jennifer Nassour fended off the challenge of Bill McCarthy.

Ted Nugent 'Loves' Sarah Palin, But Wouldn't Vote for Her for President (VIDEO) Appearing on 'Anderson Cooper 360' (weekdays, 10 PM ET on CNN) rocker, hunter and outspoken Tea Party supporter Ted Nugent heaped praise upon Sarah Palin, but also said she hasn't yet convinced him she has what it takes to be president. "(Palin's) coming from the street, she's coming from the we-the-people rank-and-file, she makes sense when she talks, she says all the right things, she's sincere, she's knowledgeable , she's articulate, she's damn good-looking, plus she kills moose, how can you go wrong?" Nugent gushed. However, when...

Despite Johnson’s turning his back on such a fundamental liberty as the right to own property, the Republican establishment apparently sees nothing wrong with putting Johnson in charge of a subcommittee that, as stated in Illinois’ News-Gazette, “deals with issues such as rural development programs…and family farming matters.”

Here's both my qualifier and my bona fides for the opinion that follows: I earned my Republican stripes working for a GOP U.S. senator, for Ronald Reagan's first successful presidential campaign and for Newt Gingrich. Since those days, I've occasionally branched out and suggested some policy or position that doesn't reflexively mirror some bedrock conservative outlook. Often some readers of this column, whom I deeply respect and appreciate, will call me out for this or that view by dismissing me as a "RINO" -- a "Republican in Name Only." Of late, some of my friends are being labeled RINOs because...

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's approval ratings have sunk to the lowest level of his presidency, so low that he'd lose the White House to Republican Mitt Romney if the election were held today, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.

When I was a Senate staffer more than a decade ago, Republicans hit on a tactic to advance school choice. They kept narrowing the eligibility standard to cover poorer and poorer families with children in only the most spectacularly failing schools, daring Democrats to vote against the most sympathetic possible group of students. I remember one liberal senator saying in exasperation, "Someday, you are going to make this impossible to oppose." . . .

Saying that a woman engaged in feline fisticuffs might be called sexist. But when that woman actually accuses another of seeking to "claw" critics, illustrating her assertion with a cat-like hand gesture, well . . . It's no secret that Nicolle Wallace is no fan of Sarah Palin. But the former Bush communications director and McCain campaign aide perhaps took things to another level with her attack on Palin on today's Morning Joe. [snip] Wallace unleashed a hail of criticism of her own: * "Mistakes were made [by McCain in choosing Palin]." * "Her troubling deficiencies." * "Her incredible cynicism,...

Monday evening, Special Report’s 12 in 2012 series featured Mitt Romney, and his likely 2012 run for President. I was for Romney in 2008 and supported him in the Republican caucuses in Colorado. But not this year. To me, he crashed and burned over his Romneycare. It’s not that he pushed this through in Massachusetts, it’s his blindness in how he continues to defend it. They played his answer on Special Report, and it’s so weak. He talks like there is a difference of night and day between Romneycare and Obamacare because his was a state program and Obamacare is...

My first piece on potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates focused on the big names that most Americans are familiar with. As I noted, it is very typical for these candidates to be out front two years away, when the campaigning is just beginning and that polls this early rarely coincide with what actually happens. I will note that I received far and away the most emails from supporters of Mike Huckabee who vehemently believe he will be the nominee. It also leaked that same week, that White House staff asked off the record whom they felt they would be facing...

BRADENTON – If you were watching election coverage on television last Tuesday, you probably heard the saying, "the 2012 race for the White House starts tomorrow," at least once and for a very simply reason – it's true. Presidential elections are a three-year process, the fist portion taking place off the grid for the most part, as potential candidates feel out respected advisors and party heavyweights before beginning to setup the complicated (and expensive) apparatuses required of the next step. That next step has arrived. Those who have already made up their mind and whose current position would not suffer...

Sarah Palin has officially “jumped the shark.” Last night’s premier of “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” will be remembered as the moment the once-promising, conservative darling crossed over into the absurd. Part Alaska tourism promo, part window into the family Palin, TLC’s eight-part series features clips of the former governor at home in gym shorts and shots of the family enjoying the great outdoors while she calls out folksy comments like, “this is flippin’ fun!” If that’s not enough, Palin takes Kate Gosselin (of “Jon & Kate Plus 8” fame) camping in the Alaska wilderness - the two women reportedly didn’t get...

Rove is right. He predicted how O'Donnell would flop and hinted that it could cost the GPO additional senate seats.... In my personal opinion, he was thinking about Alaska, Nevada, Colorado, Washington, etc. All of these should have been captured by the tea party. Personally, I think O'Donnell cost real conservatives senate seats. Say what you will... but Rove was right. Don't hate the messenger.