South Carolina is the hotbed of political activity right now and, while his mattress is going up in flames, Newt Gingrich just keeps jumpin’ harder on the bed… Ridiculing Mitt Romney because he speaks a second language? One of the best comments I heard regarding this latest act of Gingrich desperation came from Greg Gutfeld/The Five/FOX News last Friday. He ridiculed Gingrich: “Oh, yeah. That’s real good… mock someone because they’re SMART.”

Through the smoke and mirrors, two SC newspapers, The Greenville News and The Charlotte Observer, AND SC State Representative Murrell Smith, clear the air with their robust endorsements for Mitt Romney:

ROMNEY BEST CHOICE FOR REPUBLICANS
Editorial
January 15, 2012

South Carolina Republicans go to the polls Saturday to have their say on their party’s presidential nominee. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is the strongest candidate on the ballot, and he is best qualified to mount a serious campaign this fall.
…
Romney is best equipped of the Republican candidates to help this country get its financial house in order, to rein in a federal government inclined to add crushing regulations, to free business capital to create jobs and to improve the lives of Americans up and down the economic ladder. He is thoughtful when it comes to protecting the country, enhancing its national security and improving its relationship with trusted allies. At the same time, his executive experience in the business world and in state government gives him an undeniable advantage in this Republican primary.
…
With 25 years of business experience on his resume, Romney has an appreciation for the extraordinary ability of American workers, a clear-eyed view of what it takes to create and retain jobs, and a realistic understanding of the pressures on American businesses in a fragile economy and global marketplace. With a term as governor of Massachusetts on his resume, he has a demonstrated ability to provide leadership during challenging times, make tough and unpopular decisions, and work with lawmakers with other political beliefs so he can advance much of his agenda and avoid suffocating gridlock.
…
Whether it was taking over the faltering 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics or the governorship of a state with budget problems, Romney has demonstrated a management style and leadership traits that would serve him well in the White House if his party is victorious in November. His intimate knowledge of the business world, that also includes familiarity with some of the sharp edges of the free-market system, would serve him well, too.

As he wrote in a column on these pages a few months ago when the National Labor Relations Board had endangered the new Boeing plant in South Carolina, “America’s workers have long been the most productive in the world. If we unshackle them from the self-interested restrictions of federal bureaucrats and union bosses alike, I have no doubt that they will produce wonders far beyond those, like Boeing’s Dreamliner, that have already made America the great country that it is.” That is not a dreamy-eyed philosophy, but one that comes from a man who has spent more time in the business world than in government work.
…

ROMNEY HAS WHAT S.C. REPUBLICANS ARE LOOKING FOR
Editorial
January 15, 2012

South Carolina Republicans on Saturday will have the last real chance to slow Mitt Romney’s climb to the GOP presidential nomination. But why would they want to?
…
The former Massachusetts governor doesn’t spark fire in many S.C. bellies, but business-oriented Republicans need not feel queasy when voting for him. Romney is a lifelong leader with remarkable business credentials. From Bain & Co. to the 2002 Olympics, Romney has demonstrated an ability to turn things around in a crisis.

Leading Bain Capital in the 1980s, Romney shined in his role as investor. In January 1991 he returned to Bain & Co. and within two years had rescued it from collapse. Similarly, the Olympics in Salt Lake City were nearly $400 million behind where they needed to be when Romney came in. He took charge and led the Olympics to success, and to a profit.

Republicans are debating Romney’s record at Bain and how many jobs he created. But with a stubbornly high S.C. unemployment rate currently at 9.9 percent, is there really any candidate in this primary field who could be better trusted on that front than Romney?

He has as much or more executive experience as any of his rivals. As a Republican governor in a liberal state, he showed the ability to pass important public policy under challenging circumstances, and he helped erase a projected $3 billion deficit.
…
Some voters may wish he would throw out the red meat that Rick Santorum and Ron Paul do, but Romney’s sensible, authoritative, conservative approach will do more for the cause than theirs will.
…

Romney Press Office: Romney Announces Support of South Carolina State Rep Murrell Smith

SC State Rep Murrell Smith

“I’m proud to have Murrell’s support,” said Mitt Romney. “Like me, Murrell believes our country needs to empower, not hamper, small businesses and entrepreneurs to give our country lasting economic growth. I look forward to working with Murrell in the months to come to spread this message to all South Carolinians.”

“President Obama’s time in office has been a historic failure,” said State Representative Murrell Smith. “Our country cannot afford four more years of the same policies of higher taxes, reckless spending, and a disastrous healthcare law. Mitt Romney is a conservative businessman who spent his life in the real economy. He knows how to turn our country around and create jobs for the middle class. I urge all South Carolinians that want to change the direction of the country to join me in supporting Mitt Romney.”

Background on Murrell Smith:

Murrell Smith Has Served In The South Carolina House Of Representatives Since 2000. He is a member of the Ways and Means Committee and Chairman of the Health and Human Services Subcommittee. He recently received the business advocate award from the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and was named a taxpayer hero by the South Carolina Club for Growth.
(emphasis, italics added)

Much more below the fold, including video of Romney on the Huckabee Forum Part 2 and Charles Krauthammer’s advice for The Gov regarding tomorrow night’s debate (Myrtle Beach, SC)…

Read more…

Newt Gingrich is airing ads in South Carolina slamming Mitt Romney over his pro-life stance. As one who repeats ad nauseum that he is a “Reagan conservative” he would also have to slam the one he’s pompously self-identifying with. Ronald Reagan was once a pro-choicer and later flipped to a pro-life position. Besides his bludgeoning of the free-market, here’s another favorite Gingrich meme in the Palmetto State: “He [Romney] can’t defend his record; it’s too liberal for South Carolina.”

Not so, Newt.

Today, National Review’s Kathryn Jean Lopez penned an article titled Governor Romney Was a Great Friend to the Pro-Life Movement in Massachusetts. She features a new video which will be released this morning by the Romney campaign with a message from the former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, Mary Ann Glendon. She is a founding member of Women Affirming Life. It is titled Shares Our Values – Mitt Romney Pro-Life Accomplishments. (Also a Harvard Law professor, Glendon co-chairs the 63 member Justice Advisory Team for Romney.)

Take a look:

I’m Mary Ann Glendon and I am a founding member of Women Affirming Life and I have been active in the pro-life movement in Massachusetts and nationally for three decades. [Internationally, too.] The pro-life movement is all about changing hearts and minds and it struck me as very unfortunate that Mitt Romney has been criticized by some people for coming to a pro-life position on the basis of information. That’s what the pro-life movement is all about. Governor Romney showed great political courage and expended much of his political capital in supporting pro-life measures when he was here in Massachusetts. It was a very difficult political environment. 85 percent of the state legislature is Democrat controlled.

Governor Romney in that environment vetoed legislation that would have permitted destructive embryonic research; he vetoed legislation that would have permitted the over the counter sale of the morning after pill; he supported abstinence education in the schools.

Governor Romney was a great friend to the pro-life movement in Massachusetts. In a very difficult political environment, when many doors of the State House were closed to us, we always were welcomed by Governor Romney and his staff. He was a great pro-life governor and he will be a great pro-life president.

(emphasis added)

This is the best video recommendation I’ve seen for Governor Romney’s support of ‘life’ in Massachusetts. Many thanks to Mary Ann Glendon.

Note: Professor Glendon is also a signatory on An Open Letter Regarding Mitt Romney (Dec 30, 2011) in which the statement is made that “[A] good case can be made that Romney has fought harder for social conservatives than any other governor in America, and it is difficult to imagine his doing so in a more daunting political environment.”

Given that religious leaders are holding a two-day meeting (yesterday and today) to decide which anti-Romney candidate they will lay their collective hands on, we Romney supporters really must do all within our power to share this article everywhere, along with this one and this one.

Southern Baptist Convention leader, Richard Land, was mentioned in the articles linked above as one who is attending the two-day meeting in Texas. If he stands by the favorable position he took on Gov Romney in 2007, I’m somewhat encouraged.

► Jayde Wyatt

The Palmetto State is pulsing with political electricity and Governor Mitt Romney keeps generating sparks. He had a great day on the campaign trail today at the University of South Carolina in Aiken. Also, a group of SC veterans announced their support for The Gov. *He held a fantastic event for them on Hilton Head:

“I am proud to receive the endorsement of these South Carolina veterans who have selflessly and bravely fought to keep our nation safe and defend our American way of life,” said Mitt Romney. “We must continue to support all of those who have served our nation as we work to preserve those very freedoms that our veterans and troops have fought to defend.”

“Mitt Romney has been a strong advocate for veterans and will work to ensure that those who have heroically sacrificed for our country receive the care that they deserve,” said Lt. General Bud Watts, former President of the Citadel. “We need a Commander-in-Chief who will support our veterans and troops, strengthen our military, and strengthen our national defense. Mitt Romney believes in America and in the founding principles that make our country great, and he is the kind of steadfast leader we need during these challenging times.”

(emphasis added)

South Carolina veterans supporting Mitt Romney for President:

General Alfred Hansen, U.S. Air Force, Ret.
Lieutenant General Claudius “Bud” Watts, U.S. Air Force, Ret.
Major General Darwin Simpson, U.S. Army National Guard, Ret.
Major General Stan Spears, U.S. Army National Guard, Ret., Former Adjutant General of South Carolina
Colonel Fareed Betros, U.S. Army, Ret.
Lieutenant Colonel Larry McKay, U.S. Army, Ret.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Sidney Busch, U.S. Navy, Ret.
Petty Officer Mark Nadobny, U.S. Navy, Ret.

Endorsers are retired or not on active duty. Use of military rank and job titles does not imply endorsement by the Department of Defense or any department thereof.

*Three outstanding Romney supporters, SC Gov Nikki Haley, Sen. John McCain, and former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, also spoke at Gov Romney’s veteran event at Hilton Head. See video here.

What are things looking like in SC? Here’s the latest from Rasmussen polling:

Yesterday, 750 likely Republican primary voters in South Carolina were asked:

If the 2012 Republican Primary for president were held today, would you vote for Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman or Rick Perry?

Results:
Mitt Romney – 28%
Newt Gingrich – 21%
Rick Santorum -16%
Ron Paul -16%
Rick Perry – 6%
Jon Huntsman – 5%

There’s a bit of buzz that some Huntsman staff wish he had dropped out after New Hampshire.

Other polling shows Gingrich’s attack ads are having some effect on Gov Romney. I have no doubt he and his team are executing his counter message very effectively. I did like Charles Krauthammer’s advice today to Governor Romney on Bill O’Reilly’s TV program. He offered words of wisdom on how to frame the Bain brouhaha for the upcoming FOX debate on Jan 16th at Myrtle Beach, SC. (I couldn’t find a video of Krauthammer – hope Team Romney recorded it.)

► Jayde Wyatt

Glenn Kessler, sleuth at The Washington Post, applied his magnifying glass to Newt Gingrich’s King of Bain Super PAC film. After close examination, he’s rendered a verdict:

Four Pinocchios (I’m throwing pinheaded in there, too).

Newt Gingrich, meet Michael Moore!

The 29-minute video “King of Bain” is such an over-the-top assault on former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney that it is hard to know where to begin. It uses evocative footage from distraught middle-class Americans who allege that Romney’s deal-making is responsible for their woes. It mixes images of closed factories and shuttered shops with video clips of Romney making him look foolish, vain or greedy. And it has a sneering voice-over that seeks to push every anti-Wall Street button possible.

Here’s just a sampling of what Romney and Bain Capital, which he once headed, is accused of: “Stripping American businesses of assets, selling everything to the highest bidder and often killing jobs for big financial rewards . . . high disdain for American businesses and workers . . . upended the company and dismantled the work force; now they were able to make a handsome profit . . . cash rampage . . . contributing to the greatest American job loss since World War II . . . turn the misfortune of others into their own enormous financial gain.”
[...]

Kessler then offers insight on the four closed companies mentioned in the film. Before reading his conclusion, let’s see what Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey has to say:

Let’s begin with how the filmmakers present their case that Unimac went out of business thanks to the predatory nature of Mitt Romney. It turns out that not only did Romney have little to do with Unimac, the firm hasn’t gone out of business at all. It’s currently producing appliances in Wisconsin, having moved there long after Romney left Bain and actually as Romney was concluding his term as governor of Massachusetts:

Bain Capital bought the business from Raytheon in 1998, and Romney left Bain a year later to run the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. In 2005, Bain sold UniMac (also called Alliance Laundry) to a Canadian entity known as Teachers’ Private Capital. The factory was moved from Marianna to Ripon, Wisc., in 2006, after Bain’s involvement ended — a fact made clear on the Web site of a laundry repair business co-owned by the people featured in the film.

In fact, Mike Baxley, who was interviewed for the film, said that he and his partner had “absolutely no idea” that the interviews were for a film about Romney and Bain. He said they thought they were being interviewed for a documentary about the factory closing.

“They said they wanted to know what it was like when the factory closed down,” he said, and he, his partner and his partner’s wife agreed to interviews after “they flashed a little money at us.” (Baxley, a Republican who said he had not yet thought much about the nomination contest, declined to reveal the amount.)

After watching “King of Bain” at The Fact Checker’s request, he said: “We were pretty shocked. Our quotes were seriously taken out of context. There is a real lack of facts.”

Kessler concludes:

First of all, it is a stretch to portray Romney as some sort of corporate raider, akin to Carl Icahn (whose image is briefly seen). … Private equity deals, such as leveraged buyouts in which the company borrows lots of debt, can be more rewarding but also more risky. … Private equity revolutionized American business, demanding efficiencies (which can mean layoffs) and helping place much more emphasis on increasing shareholder value.

He writes that of the four closed companies mentioned in the film, only one of the cases actually involved Romney – Ampad. That company declined - not failed – as stated in the film. Though Ampad did close a facility in Marion, Indiana because less expensive retail competitors chipped away at its business supply core, it still operates as a subsidiary to Esselte.

Kessler also punches the Gingrich Super PAC with this:

“The manipulative way the interviews appeared to have been gathered for the UniMac segment alone discredits the entire film.”

(emphasis, italics added)

Morrissey’s conclusion:

Romney, however, isn’t sitting still. He has responded in South Carolina with an ad balanced between positive and negative, looking at his record of creating jobs in the private sector, but also slamming Gingrich for “taking the Obama line”:

Here’s the ad – Bright Future:

South Carolinians are also hearing a new Romney radio ad titled “Shares Our Values.” He’s supported by pro-life conservatives because he shares their values and displayed pro-life leadership as governor:

Read more…

Newt Gingrich’s 27 minute film beating up the free-enterprise system and Mitt Romney, which is airing in South Carolina, continues to land him in hot water. As conservative criticism against him begins to boil, Rick Perry is occupying splashing in the bath with him. Climbing out of the suds, Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum keep trying to mop up their footprints.

While Romney releases his *counterattack, here’s more conservative reaction to attacks on Romney and capitalism:

Perry donor defects to Romney, citing Bain attacks
CNN Politics
Jan 12, 2012

Columbia, South Carolina (CNN) – One of Rick Perry’s leading financial supporters in South Carolina is defecting to Mitt Romney – and he told CNN Thursday that Perry’s sharp criticisms of Romney as a “vulture capitalist” were the main factor in his decision.

Both Perry and Newt Gingrich recently began hammering Romney as a predatory capitalist who looted companies and fired workers when he was running the private equity firm Bain Capital in the 1980s and 1990s.

Barry Wynn, the former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party and a financial adviser in Spartanburg, said the escalating rhetoric about Romney’s business background is “destructive.”

“It’s just a dance I didn’t want to be a part of,” Wynn said in an interview, explaining his decision to leave Perry’s campaign.

Wynn, along with a handful of other previously neutral South Carolina moneymen, will publicly endorse Romney on Thursday.

“This latest attack, it’s so foreign to me, I couldn’t see myself being a part of that,” he explained. “I don’t think you can be on both sides of free market capitalism. A big part of me being a Republican for the last 40 years is that I think it’s the best hope to protect free market capitalism, the growth engine of our economy.”

Read more here.

Associated Press: “Presidential candidate Rick Perry’s criticism of Mitt Romney’s business past has cost him the support of a prominent South Carolina Republican. Investment fund executive and top GOP donor Barry Wynn told The Associated Press Thursday that he’s leaving the Perry fold to endorse Romney. Wynn says he was irritated by Perry’s attacks on Romney’s time at the helm of the private equity firm Bain Capital. As Wynn put it, ‘It’s like fingernails on the chalkboard.’” (The Associated Press, 1/12/12)

The Wall Street Journal: “About the best that can be said about the Republican attacks on Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital is that President Obama is going to do the same thing eventually … Yet that hardly absolves Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and others for their crude and damaging caricatures of modern business and capitalism. Politics isn’t subtle, and these candidates are desperate, but do they have to sound like Michael Moore?” (Editorial, “The Bain Capital Bonfire,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/11/12)

National Review: “[T]o abominate Mitt Romney for having been a success at the business of investing in struggling American companies, connecting entrepreneurs with capital and producers with markets, is foolish and destructive. Republicans ought to know better, and the fact that Gingrich et al. apparently do not is the most disturbing commentary on the state of the primary field so far.” (Editorial, “Romney’s Profitable Past,” National Review, 1/10/12)

The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin: “Regardless of his intentions, Gingrich … has embarked in an anti-Bain, anti-Romney vendetta that is widely scorned in his own party.” (Jennifer Rubin, “Gingrich And His Backer Are Bruised By The Anti-Bain Attacks,” The Washington Post, 1/12/12)

Rush Limbaugh: “You have to say that Newt and Perry blew it the last two days. I don’t care what you think, folks, the attacks that they mounted on Romney are not defensible. … I’m sorry, folks, that is indefensible. There’s no way you can try to dress that up. I don’t understand it. Well, politically I understand it, but that’s just absurd. It’s sad. … This is the language of leftists like Michael Moore and Oliver Stone. … This is not conservatism. It’s the polar opposite of conservatism. It’s the language used to take away economic freedom.” (RushLimbaugh.com, 1/11/12)

Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips: [W]e are disappointed to see attacks from some Republican presidential candidates on Mitt Romney and Bain Capital, which sink to the level of some of the worst anti-free market, class envy politics constantly pushed by the Obama Administration and those in the Occupy camps.” (Americans For Prosperity, Press Release, 1/11/12)

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani: “I’m outraged … I’m shocked what they’re doing. It’s ignorant, dumb. It’s building something we should be fighting in America, ignorance of the economic system, playing on the dumbest, most ridiculous ideas about how you grow jobs. … What they’re doing to Mitt right now is totally unfair and bad for the Republican Party. … What the hell are you doing, Newt? I expect this from Saul Alinsky. This is what Saul Alinsky taught Barack Obama, and what you’re saying is part of the reason we’re in so much trouble right now.” (Tim Mak, “Rudy Giuliani: Newt Gingrich Acting Like Saul Alinsky,” Politico, 1/12/12)

Senator John McCain: “To go after [Romney] on really what is the essence of what we Republicans believe in about [the] economy, I think is a serious mistake and frankly I think it’s the last resort of a very desperate campaign.” (Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” 1/12/12)

Governor Nikki Haley: “I am baffled by the fact that we are putting the free market on trial here. I’m concerned for my party. The free market’s what we fight for.” (Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny, “Republican Rivals Batter Romney in South Carolina,” The New York Times, 1/11/12)

The day after the NH primary election, Romney Campaign Policy Director Lanhee Chen spoke with Eric Bolling (FOX Business) on Romney’s career at Bain Capital. (Bolling continues to defend Romney’s free-enterprise record on FOX News program The Five: “This is gonna kill Perry and it’s gonna hurt Newt, too.”):

What do business owners in South Carolina think of the Occupy-Wall-Street anti-capitalism rhetoric coming from Gingrich and Perry?

Here’s your answer:

MITT ROMNEY ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF SOUTH CAROLINA BUSINESS LEADERS

Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today announced the support of business leaders in South Carolina.

“Mitt Romney will be able to fix our economy and create jobs – because he has had one,” said Barry Wynn. “When Mitt Romney becomes president, job creators across the country will be able to have the confidence that their president is supporting them, not trying to demonize them and regulate them out of business. Along with these other South Carolina business leaders, I am proud to endorse Mitt Romney because we know he will reinvigorate South Carolina’s economy and the American entrepreneurial spirit.”

“These business leaders in South Carolina are an important part of our country’s economic engine,” said Mitt Romney. “But they can’t afford four more years of an over-taxing, over-spending, over-regulating Obama Administration. As President, I will put in place policies that free the private sector to do what it does best: create jobs. With the help of leaders like these, we will get our economy back on the right track.”

South Carolina business leaders supporting Mitt Romney:
William Biggs, Anderson
Dr. William Bogache, Grand Strand Urology, Myrtle Beach
William Bradshaw, Bradshaw Automotive, Greer
Terry S. Brown, CEO of EDENS, Columbia
Peter M. Brown, President of Colite International, Columbia
Richard E. Coen, President of Coen & Densmore, Charleston
E. Bart Daniel, Charleston
Henry B. Fishburne, Jr., Charleston
Joseph P. Griffith, Jr., Charleston
Kevin Hall, Partner at Hall & Bowers, Columbia
Lynn Harton, Greenville
Henry Horowitz, Chairman of Oxford Capital Partners LLC, Greenville
Matthew R. Hubbell, Charleston
Phil Hughes, President of Hughes Investments, Greenville
Sharon and Rus Kingman, President of J.R. Kingman Inc., Greer
E. Smyth McKissick, III, President of Alice Manufacturing Company, Easley
Jodie W. McLean, President & CIO of EDENS, Columbia
Charlie Mickel, Capital Deployment LLC, Greenville
David Posek, Former Chairman & Current Board Member of the SC Ports Authority, Pawleys Island
Henry C. Scott, CEO of Collum’s Lumber Products LLC, Allendale
Greg A. Thompson, President & CEO of Thompson Construction Group, Sumter
John von Lehe, Charleston
Barry Wynn, President of Colonial Trust Company, Spartanburg
Anita G. Zucker, Chairman and CEO, The InterTech Group, Charleston

*Company/business names are provided for identification purposes only.


Stuart Varney, FOX News/FOX Business economic journalist, appeared today on Megyn Kelly’s TV program. He neatly, cleanly, specifically refuted the false claims in Newt’s Super PAC film. Excellent segment. So far, I can’t find video of that exchange. Shortly afterward on FOX, Mark Meckler, co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, spoke with Neil Cavuto and criticized ‘NewtPerry’ (my moniker). He said we should unite on the merits of the free-market system and didn’t hesitate to say that NewtPerry are muddying the conservative message.

January 10, 2012, Senator Jim DeMint spoke with Mark Levin (radio talking head who is not a Romney fan). He predicted a win for Mitt in SC:

“I was just sitting here listening to the Romney acceptance speech, and he’s hitting a lot of the hot buttons for me about balancing the budget, and frankly I’m a little concerned about the few Republicans who have criticized some of what I consider free market principles here.”~ Sen Jim DeMint

*More on Romney’s counterattack:

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Mitt Romney’s done defending his Bain Capital record. He’s going on offense.

The former Massachusetts governor arrived here Wednesday fresh off his New Hampshire primary win armed with a new plan for a multi-pronged response to the Republican rivals who’ve been bashing his private equity past. Campaign advisers are polishing new messaging, tailored to rebut Republican and Democratic attacks separately. They’re cueing up new commercials.

And they’re rolling out a more aggressive approach from the candidate himself, even as the candidates who’d been waging the Bain battle appeared to be retreating from the rhetoric on Wednesday.
[...]
They’ll start with advertisements featuring employees of companies started and rescued by Bain telling their stories — a direct response to the documentary released by the pro-Newt Gingrich super PAC that features employees of four companies closed by Bain that brutally slams Romney as a job killer. That documentary is set to be parceled out into shorter commercials that will air in South Carolina with a $3.4 million ad buy.

Romney adviser Kevin Madden said they’re confident they’ll quash those attacks with their new rebuttal.
“For every scare story that they try to present related to the governor’s experience in the private sector and free enterprise,” Madden said, “we can point to a whole host of successful enterprises that have resulted in job creation and wealth and prosperity.”

Continue reading here.

NewtPerry may find themselves gurgling down the drain…

Additional reading:

Mitt Romney and Bain: How to Unite the Conservative Base with One Easy Attack

Head of U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Attacks on Romney ‘foolish’

Bloomberg: Romney Film Stretches Truth While Taking Comments Out of Context

(emphasis added to articles)

► Jayde Wyatt

While Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry have their hands super-glued on the aspects-of-free-enterprise-are-frightful gong, we’ve got another Romney endorsement roll out…

FORMER U.N. AMBASSADOR

We learned tonight that Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton has endorsed Mitt Romney and will be an adviser on his top foreign policy team. (Music to my ears…)

Wall Street Journal:

… The move is a blow to Newt Gingrich, who is close to Mr. Bolton and said recently that he would nominate the former ambassador as his secretary of state were he to become president.
[...]

SOUTH CAROLINA

Elected officials and leaders from the Palmetto State have decided Mitt Romney is their choice:

“Mitt Romney has demonstrated throughout his life that he has the values South Carolinians are looking for in our next Commander-in-Chief,” said Senator Ronnie Cromer. “Whether it has been in business, the Olympics, leading a state, or in his family life, Mitt Romney has displayed the virtues and leadership quality that we want in our President. His economic plan to revitalize the economy and bring fiscal sanity to Washington stand head-and-shoulders above the rest of the field and stand in stark contrast to President Obama’s failure to create jobs and get spending under control. If conservatives are looking for a candidate who will not only share their values, but put them into action, they need to look no further than Mitt Romney.”

“Mitt Romney is the kind of strong conservative leader our country needs right now,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Jay Lucas. “Having spent his life in the private sector, Mitt Romney knows exactly what it takes to grow the economy and create jobs. He will put in place the kind of limited government principles that will help get our nation back on the right track and is the best candidate to win in November.”

“Mitt Romney has put forth a pro-growth jobs plan that will help turn around our economy and get America working again,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White. “Mitt Romney believes in America and will work to restore the founding principles that have made our country great by returning to a ‘smaller, simpler, and smarter’ federal government.”

“These leaders share my vision that free people, not government, are what makes this country great,” said Mitt Romney. “With their continued hard work, we can turn this country around and ensure that it continues to be the greatest nation on Earth.”

South Carolina Elected Officials and Leaders Endorsing Mitt Romney:

Businessman and Former Prosecutor Robert Bolchoz
Former Congressman Henry Brown
RNC National Committeewoman Cindy Costa
Senator Ronnie Cromer
Speaker Pro Tempore Jay Lucas
Greenville Mayor Knox White
Kershaw County Council Chairman Gene Wise

TENNESSEE

The Governor from The Volunteer State, Bill Haslam, is also supporting Romney:

“Governor Haslam’s focus on balancing the budget and providing state services efficiently and effectively to taxpayers should be an example to politicians in Washington,” said Mitt Romney. “His priorities to cut spending, reduce regulatory burdens, and strengthen a business-friendly climate are key steps to put our country on the right path once again. I look forward to working with Governor Haslam to help spread my pro-growth message and defeat President Obama.”

TN Gov Bill Haslam

“I am proud to announce my support for Mitt Romney. He’s been a governor and had the responsibility of leading as an executive by cutting spending, keeping taxes low and creating a strong environment for job creation,” Governor Haslam said. “He also has private sector experience and understands the importance of balancing revenues and expenses. Mitt is a problem solver, and what we really need in this country right now is someone that can tackle tough issues. With Mitt Romney in the White House, Tennesseans can be confident in a leader that is focused on creating jobs and encouraging prosperity for Americans.”

Background on Governor Bill Haslam:

Bill Haslam Was Elected The 49th Governor Of Tennessee With The Largest Margin Of Victory In Any Open Governor’s Race In The State’s History. His top priorities are to make Tennessee the No.1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs by fostering a business-friendly environment for recruitment and expansion; to continue the state’s momentum in education reform with the focus on doing what’s best for Tennessee children in the classroom; and to ensure the state budget is managed conservatively and state government is run as efficiently and effectively as possible while delivering quality service to the citizens of Tennessee.

Prior to serving as Governor, he was the Mayor of Knoxville for eight years, and before entering public service, he managed his family’s business, driving all over the country to find good locations for new truck-stops and helping it expand to a nationwide business.

KANSAS

Kris Kobach, Secretary of State for Kansas, gives Romney the thumbs-up:

“

Kris Kobach, Kansas Secty of State

We need a president who will finally put a stop to a problem that has plagued our country for a generation: millions of illegal aliens coming into the country and taking jobs from United States citizens and legal aliens, while consuming hundreds of billions of dollars in public benefits at taxpayer expense,” said Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. “Illegal immigration is a nightmare for America’s economy and America’s national security. Mitt Romney is the candidate who will finally secure the borders and put a stop to the magnets, like in-state tuition, that encourage illegal aliens to remain in our country unlawfully. He is also the candidate who will stand shoulder to shoulder with the states that are fighting to restore the rule of law. I am pleased to stand with this true conservative.”

“I’m so proud to earn Kris’s support,” said Mitt Romney. “Kris has been a true leader on securing our borders and stopping the flow of illegal immigration into this country. We need more conservative leaders like Kris willing to stand up for the rule of law. With Kris on the team, I look forward to working with him to take forceful steps to curtail illegal immigration and to support states like South Carolina and Arizona that are stepping forward to address this problem.”

Background On Kris Kobach:

Kris Kobach Is The Secretary Of State Of Kansas. He was formerly the chairman of the Kansas Republican Party and a professor of constitutional law. Kobach has been a longtime advocate for immigration reform. He is the co-author of the Arizona and Alabama laws against illegal immigration, and he served as Attorney General John Ashcroft’s chief adviser on immigration and border security while at the U.S. Department of Justice. He has degrees from Harvard, Yale, and Oxford Universities. He lives in Piper, Kansas, with his wife Heather and daughters Lilly, Reagan, Molly, and Charlotte.

(emphasis added to endorsements)

► Jayde Wyatt

Since Mitt Romney’s win in Iowa, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry are really howling. Jon Huntsman is getting in his yelps, too.

What about?

Capitalism.

And, Mitt Romney’s job-creation experience at Bain.

We expect some baying at the moon along the campaign trail, but Newt Gingrich not only has a visceral grrr on and his fangs bared, he’s jumped for Governor Romney’s jugular and seems not to care that he’s in free-fall.

Regarding Newt’s self-destructing snarls that “Romney looted companies”, *Charles Krauthammer declared yesterday on FOX News, “He’s [Newt] Ahab on the loose.” It’s vengeance – not victory – for Gingrich. In his frenzy, he’s chewing up capitalism.

Take a look at the barrage of criticism leveled at minus-his-mask-Newt and the others:

● Conservatives vs. Capitalism
National Review Online
by Jay Nordlinger
January 9, 2012

The last two presidential election cycles have revealed a stinking hypocrisy in conservatives: They profess their love of capitalism and entrepreneurship, but when offered a real capitalist and entrepreneur, they go, “Eek, a mouse!” And they tear him down in proud social-democrat fashion. …

Last time around, Mike Huckabee said Romney “looks like the guy who laid you off.” Conservatives reacted like this was the greatest mot since Voltaire or something. To me, Romney looked like someone who could create a business and hire the sadly unentrepreneurial like me.
[...]
As I say in Impromptus today, I was watching a clip of Romney tangling with an “Occupy” protester last week. Romney was defending corporate profits. I was astounded. I don’t think I had ever seen a candidate do this. When the subject comes up, you’re supposed to denounce corporate profits or say, “Hey, nice weather we’re having, huh?”

Over and over, Romney defends and explains capitalism. And he’s supposed to be the RINO and squish in the race? That’s what I read in the conservative blogosphere, every day. What do you have to do to be a “real conservative”? Speak bad English and belch?

Nordlinger then blasts Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich for their Saturday debate jabs at Romney – Santorum for saying Mitt was “just a manager” and Gingrich for referencing the New York Times to show what a meanie capitalist Romney is. He blasts those criticizing Mitt for his liking being able to fire people who provide services to him statement. Hoping to score points, Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry immediately jumped on that one today.

Nordlinger continues:

I could go on: the $10,000 bet, the pink slips, conservatives wetting their pants, over and over. They have no appetite to defend capitalism, to persuade people, to encourage them not to fall for the old socialist and populist crap. I fled the Democratic party many years ago. And one of the reasons was, I couldn’t stand the class resentment, the envy, the hostility to wealth, the cries of “Richie Rich!” And I hear them from conservatives, at least when Romney is running.

Go ahead, have your “bloodbath” in South Carolina. Make Romney the little guy in the top hat and tails, from the Monopoly game. Have your Santorum, your Perry, your Newt. They may carry something like four states in the fall, but at least they’ve never sullied their hands with — eek! — business.

You’ve got to read the entire article.

One of the best conservative writers on Capitol Hill, Jennifer Rubin, wrote this today:

● Gingrich is up to his old tricks: Helping Democrats
The Washington Post
by Jennifer Rubin
January 9, 2012

Newt Gingrich’s decision, for the second time in the race, to echo the left’s anti-Bain, anti-capitalism themes against Mitt Romney is raising eyebrows. Ironically, it may boomerang, reinforcing Gingrich’s reputation as a destructive force and giving Romney some brownie points with fiscal conservatives. In particular, an online film trailer from Gingrich’s super PAC that savages Romney’s venture capital firm could well cause conservatives to recoil.

Gingrich’s decision to adopt the David Axelrod-Debbie Wasserman Shultz-Occupy Wall Street attack against Bain Capital has made conservatives more than a little queasy.
[...]
Who said this? “Frankly I don’t think bringing a Bain mentality to this economy — to running this economy — makes him a strong candidate.” Without looking, you wouldn’t know if it were Axelrod or Gingrich.(It’s Axelrod.)
[...]
This is precisely the same tactic Gingrich employed with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), whom he accused of radical “right-wing social engineering.”

You see, if it suits his fancy, Gingrich will always take the side of liberals (and their causes) against conservative principles. In fact, whoever might outshine him goes to the top of the hit list. His Bain and Ryan attacks are indicative of his destructive and undisciplined methodology.

Ms. Rubin wonders about the source of funding for the Gingrich Super PAC 27 minute video against Romney:

Given the film’s leftist bent, you have to wonder if the film is funded by a “capitalist.” It’s something, frankly, a labor union or Soros entity would come up with.

She concludes:

Now the voters of New Hampshire have a role to play here. They can either reward Gingrich by giving him a decent share of the vote, or they can make clear that running against capitalism, adopting the language of Occupy Wall Street and playing errand boy for Obama’s Chicago political hacks are not going to endear you to the GOP.

Rubin’s article is a MUST read.

● Avik Roy writes in The National Review about the Romney Derangement Syndrome and how his GOP adversaries are criticizing private-sector success. Roy points out that the attacks from Gingrich and Santorum on Romney’s job-creation experience at Bain underscores the fact that career politicians don’t understand how the economy works. He then explains what leveraged-buy out firms do.

He concludes:

[...]
It’s been discouraging to read that many conservatives see Romney’s record at Bain Capital as a liability. For the truth is the opposite: Romney is a candidate uniquely suited to defending the role of free enterprise in the American economy. When liberal politicians and journalists argue that layoffs are cruel, and that capitalism is unfair, Mitt Romney can speak to how dealing frontally with a business’s problems can lead to better and more numerous jobs over the long term. He can speak not merely in abstract philosophical terms, but using the real-world examples from his successes and his failures.

…[S]hould Romney end up as the nominee, he will provide conservatives with a singular opportunity: a chance to forthrightly and skillfully extol the Duane Reade economy over the Solyndra economy. If conservatives truly believe in free enterprise, it is an opportunity they should relish.

There’s, oh, so much more…

Read more…

While Southern Baptist leader Richard Land and other social conservatives are huddling in Texas next weekend to figure out how to stop Mitt Romney, nine conservative leaders from Massachusetts think so highly of Governor Mitt Romney that they’ve penned a letter on his behalf. They write about his record in the uber-liberal Bay State and praise him for protecting life, defending traditional marriage, and standing for religious freedom.

Uh… Newt, are you paying attention?

An Open Letter Regarding Governor Mitt Romney
December 30, 2011

Dear conservative friends:
We hail from a broad spectrum of organizations dedicated to fighting for the pro-family agenda in Massachusetts. As you know, Mitt Romney served as the governor of our state from January 2, 2003 to January 3, 2007. During that time, we worked closely with him and his excellent staff on that agenda.

Some press accounts and bloggers have described Governor Romney in terms we neither have observed nor can we accept. To the contrary, we, who have been fighting here for the values you also hold, are indebted to him and his responsive staff in demonstrating solid social conservative credentials by undertaking the following actions here in Massachusetts. The following is not an endorsement of Governor Romney but our account of the facts to set the record straight.

Staunchly defended traditional marriage. Governor Romney immediately and strongly condemned the November 18, 2003 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) decision that legalized “same-sex marriage” in our state. More importantly, he followed up on that denunciation with action – action that saved our nation from a constitutional crisis over the definition of marriage. He and his staff identified and enforced a little-known 1913 law that allowed them to order local clerks not to issue marriage licenses to out-of-state couples. Absent this action, homosexual couples would surely have flooded into Massachusetts from other states to get “married” and then demanded that their home states recognize the “marriages,” putting the nation only one court decision away from nationalizing “same-sex marriage.”

We do not agree with the claims that Gov. Romney had bogus Party A and Party B marriage licenses printed and ordered Justices of the Peace and Town Clerks to perform same-sex “marriages” when asked or be fired. As May 17, 2004 (the SJC’s declaratory judgment date) approached, the Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel issued provisional advisory instructions to the justices of the peace and prepared revised license applications. These executive actions did not result in the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples before May 17. The new policies were carried out only after and as a direct result of the judiciary’s final action in Goodridge on May 17. They did not generate same-sex marriages; that responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

We do not agree with the claims that Gov. Romney issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The governor does not issue marriage licenses in Massachusetts. Only the town clerks can do that. But the governor can issue one-day justice of the peace authorizations to an individual who wants to perform a marriage ceremony but is not a licensed minister, town clerk or justice of the peace. The governor’s office issues thousands of those in a four year term with the only criteria being that the individual doing the ceremony is in good standing and the parties getting married have a valid marriage license.

Worked hard to overturn “same-sex marriage” in the Commonwealth with substantial results. In 2004 he lobbied hard, before a very hostile legislature, for a constitutional amendment protecting marriage – an amendment later changed by the legislature to include civil unions, which the Governor and many marriage amendment supporters opposed. Working with the Governor, we were successful in defeating this amendment.

Provided strong, active support for a record-setting citizen petition drive in 2005 to advance a clean constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The petition drive collected the largest number of signatures in Massachusetts history.

Rallied thousands of citizens around the state to focus public and media attention on the failure of legislators, through repeated delays, to perform their constitutional obligation and vote on the marriage amendment. In November of 2006, Gov. Romney held the largest State House rally in Massachusetts history with over 7000 supporters of traditional marriage.

Filed suit before the Supreme Judicial Court asking the court to clarify the legislators’ duty to vote and failing that, to place the amendment on the 2008 ballot. That lawsuit, perhaps more than any other single action, was by all accounts instrumental in bringing the ultimate pressure on the legislators to vote. The SJC unanimously ruled that the Legislature must vote and the historic vote was taken on January 2, 2007 winning legislative support. This cleared a major hurdle in the three year effort to restore traditional marriage in the Commonwealth.

Fought for abstinence education. In 2006, under Governor Romney’s leadership, Massachusetts’ public schools began to offer a classroom program on abstinence from the faith-based Boston group Healthy Futures to middle school students. Promoting the program, Governor Romney stated, “I’ve never had anyone complain to me that their kids are not learning enough about sex in school. However, a number of people have asked me why it is that we do not speak more about abstinence as a safe and preventative health practice.”

Affirmed the culture of life. Governor Romney vetoed bills to provide access to the so-called “morning-after pill,” which is an abortifacient, as well as a bill providing for expansive, embryo-destroying stem cell research. He vetoed the latter bill in 2005 because he could not “in good conscience allow this bill to become law.”

We do not agree with the claims that Gov. Romney is responsible for tax payer funded abortion under the Massachusetts health care system. That blame lies solely on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court who ruled in 1981 that the Massachusetts Constitution required payment for abortions for Medicaid-eligible women. In 1997, the Court reaffirmed its position that a state-subsidized plan must offer “medically necessary abortions.”

Stood for religious freedom. Governor Romney was stalwart in defense of the right of Catholic Charities of Boston to refuse to allow homosexual couples to adopt children in its care. Catholic Charities was loudly accused of “discrimination,” but Governor Romney correctly pointed out that it is unjust to force a religious agency to violate the tenets of its faith in order to placate a special-interest group.

Filed “An Act Protecting Religious Freedom” in the Massachusetts legislature to save Catholic Charities of Boston and other religious groups from being forced to violate their moral principles or stop doing important charitable work.

All of this may explain why John J. Miller, the national political reporter of National Review, wrote that “a good case can be made that Romney has fought harder for social conservatives than any other governor in America, and it is difficult to imagine his doing so in a more daunting political environment.”

We are aware of the 1994 comments of Senate candidate Romney, which have been the subject of much recent discussion. While they are, taken by themselves, obviously worrisome to social conservatives including ourselves, they do not dovetail with the actions of Governor Romney from 2003 until now – and those actions have positively and demonstrably impacted the social climate of Massachusetts.

Since well before 2003, we have been laboring in the trenches of Massachusetts, fighting for the family values you and we share. It is difficult work indeed – not for the faint of heart. In this challenging environment, Governor Romney has proven that he shares our values, as well as our determination to protect them.

Mitt and Ann Romney are pictured with their grandchildren (16 of them!). Dec 2011
Click on image to enlarge.

For four years, Governor Romney was right there beside us, providing leadership on key issues – whether it was politically expedient to do so or not. He has stood on principle, and we have benefited greatly from having him with us.

It is clear that Governor Romney has learned much since 1994 – to the benefit of our movement and our Commonwealth. In fact, the entire nation has benefited from his socially conservative, pro-family actions in office. As we explained earlier, his leadership on the marriage issue helped prevent our nation from being plunged into even worse legal turmoil following the court decision that forced “gay marriage” upon our Commonwealth.

For that our country ought to be thankful. We certainly are.

Sincerely,

Rita Covelle
President, Morality in Media Massachusetts

Gerald D. D’Avolio
Former Executive Director, Massachusetts Catholic Conference

Raymond L. Flynn
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See

Professor Mary Ann Glendon
Harvard Law School
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See

Kristian Mineau
President, Massachusetts Family Institute

Dr. Roberto Miranda
COPAHNI Fellowship of Hispanic Pastors of New England

James F. Morgan
Chairman, Institute for Family Development

Joseph Reilly
Former Chairman of the Board, Massachusetts Citizens for Life

Thomas A. Shields
Chairman, Coalition for Marriage and Family

(emphasis added)

Note: The signatories are all acting as individual citizens, and not as representatives of their respective organizations. Organizational affiliations appear for identification purposes only.

Hoping to slow/stop Romney in South Carolina, Gingrich is trumpeting false claims about Governor Romney’s record in MA. It’s up to each of us to spread this far and wide.

► Jayde Wyatt

This caught my eye for two reasons:

1. More Tea Party support for Mitt Romney (thoughtful, strong endorsement)

2. It’s published in the New Hampshire Union Leader (newspaper that endorsed Gingrich and by the way, are co-sponsors of Sunday’s presidential debate in Concord, NH).

Tweet from Team Mitt:

MT @NHJennifer Why this conservative teaparty grassroots activist chose @MittRomney: http://t.co/6uGfGTIa #FITN #Mitt2012

“Mitt Romney Is A Man Of Conservative Character”
By Jennifer Horn
Union Leader
January 7, 2012

The next President of the United States is going to face the enormous challenge of reversing four years of the most economically devastating policies our nation has seen in my lifetime. Contrary to his own declaration of being one of the four greatest Presidents in our nation’s history, Barack Obama has been a measurable failure and must be replaced.

As a lifelong conservative who came to politics after first owning a small business, raising a family and being very involved in my community, I am less concerned about party and politics and much more concerned about what kind of world my children will raise their families in. Above all else, this election is about preserving freedom in America; it is about preserving an America of limited government and unlimited opportunity.

That is why, as a conservative, as an activist, and as a mother I am voting for Mitt Romney for President.

Romney’s combination of private sector and public sector experience makes him uniquely qualified to confront the economic woes of our time. After 34 months of unemployment in excess of 8 percent, we need a President who understands how jobs grow. During his years in the private sector, Mitt Romney had a hand in growing over 100,000 American jobs. Mitt Romney understands the nuts and bolts of business; with 13.3 million Americans looking for work we need a President who understands how intrusive government regulations crush opportunity.

Mitt Romney has offered a detailed, step by step plan to restore economic stability to America. It may not be sexy and it may not come with a catchy tag line but it is a sound, comprehensive approach that will put America back to work. His plan includes all the common sense initiatives that conservatives have always fought for. It is based on free markets, individual rights and limited government intervention.
[...]

The following paragraph from Ms. Horn is another refutation of the lie Newt Gingrich continues to trumpet – that Governor Romney raised taxes in Massachusetts (Newt’s calling Mitt a liar is abhorent and flat-out wrong, while Newt IS one. Wait! That’s exactly what Newt did when he publicly denounced Bill Clinton’s philandering with Monica Lewinsky while he, himself, was engaged in worse.):

As a Republican governor in a painfully liberal state, Mitt Romney made a conservative mark. He issued hundreds of line-item vetoes in bills passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature. He cut taxes, eliminated a $3 billion budget deficit and left behind a $2 billion rainy day fund. Mitt Romney was able to apply the common sense knowledge we all have that you cannot continually spend more than you take in, and a state economy that had been mired in recession once again began to create jobs.

Ms. Horn continues:

More important than a candidate’s position on any one policy, however, is his ability to lead. We understand as conservatives, as business owners and as parents, that integrity is measured by how you behave when no one is paying attention. No one will ever accuse Mitt Romney of cheating – on his taxes, in his business or on his family. There has never been a hint of scandal associated with him, in business or politics. When it comes to choosing the next leader of the free world, character matters.
[...]
Mitt Romney’s grassroots campaign has proven his respect for the role of that each citizen plays in our democratic process. He has answered thousands of unedited questions from thousands of voters. He eloquently and passionately expresses his love of God, country and family. When asked at the We The People town hall what core principle would guide him as President, he answered “The oath of office, where I place my hand on the Bible and swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America.”

Mitt Romney is a man of conservative values with a successful record of growing jobs, leading under difficult circumstances and making tough decisions when called upon to do so. He is a man of great personal integrity and possesses the character and strength to lead.

(emphasis, image added)

DO read the entire endorsement here.

Spread this far and wide.

Note: Ms. Horn is founder of We the People: A First in the Nation Freedom Forum.

► Jayde Wyatt

Leading into the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary vote on Monday and the debates this weekend (where we expect feisty, fur-flying exchanges), let’s look at the latest NH polling from CNN and roll with some of latest Granite State news…

● Fresh off a third-place win in Iowa, the Ron Paul camp is fighting hard to come in second in New Hampshire. Congressman Paul is polling in NH at 17-18%.

● Head-fake Rick Perry, after spending $5.5 million in Iowa and losing badly there, announced he was heading back to Texas to assess his campaign. The next day, he tweeted a bandy-legged photo message:

And the next leg of the marathon is the Palmetto State…Here we come South Carolina!!! http://yfrog.com/odz8ujrj

So, he’s not out of the running, but he’s skipping New Hampshire. Smart… because he’s polling at 1%.

● What to say about Jon Huntsman? He shunned Iowa and has staked his entire Obama-Clinton-love-letters campaign in The Granite State. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had a good laugh hearing Huntsman say he is going to win NH. From the get-go, I’ve thought his efforts were to be a spoiler there for Romney while attempting to garner national attention for himself. Today, he’s barking that he’s the underdog and is pounding Mitt for being in South Carolina, while he and others are in NH. Gov Romney took a quick trip to the Palmetto State to campaign with SC Gov Nikki Haley (a very good move) and will be back in NH tonight to host a spaghetti supper. By the way, Huntsman is polling in NH at around 8%.

● Yesterday, when answering a social issue question from students at the College Convention in Concord, New Hampshire, ‘Game On!’ Rick Santorum became terse and was booed as he left the stage. Now, as he campaigns in NH, he’s turning himself into a pretzel trying to avoid social issue discussions and is taking jabs at Romney. Santorum’s favorite line today: “It’s a joke to call Mitt Romney a conservative.” Santorum now has money to play with (raised $2 million dollars in the last two days). We’ll see how agile his campaign is – what he distributes in the way of ads, flyers, etc. in NH. After being under the radar, now that his record will be brought out of moth balls, we’ll see who the joke is on. He’s drawing support at 11%.

● After two weeks of crying about vetting ads and his poor showing in Iowa, tight-lipped Newt Gingrich said yesterday on FOX News that he isn’t “particularly angry” (trying to hide ‘old’ Newt while the steam cloud coming out of his ears blurred his vision). With the help of the Union Leader, he’s lumbered fiercely into NH adding revenge to his baggage. Gingrich’s words belie his rhetoric; with a goal to ensure Governor Romney isn’t the nominee, he’s busy spitting lies about Romney’s record (albeit, in a professorial tone). Notice that Newt didn’t refute the content of the ads – just whined about them. A family from Portsmouth, NH, says Gingrich ought to “quit whining and man up“. See video.

Yesterday, Reuters reported Odd allies: Gingrich, Obama align in attacks on Romney: “The danger for Gingrich attacking Romney is it’s going to bring up all the old Gingrich flame-thrower baggage. Folks in Florida, folks in South Carolina who are watching cable news and following this stuff on the Internet are going to be exposed to the meaner, acerbic Newt as opposed to the professorial, idea Newt. I can’t see this helping him.”

As of today, Newt is polling at 9%.

● Former NH Gov John Sununu, a Romney supporter, didn’t mince words when he spoke today with FOX News’ Martha MacCallum about Gingrich, Huntsman, and Santorum:

Later, Sununu took on Judge Napolitano on FOX Business Network’s ‘Freedom Watch’:

“…[J]ust because you talk loud doesn’t mean you talk accurately. Half the garbage you just put forward is absolutely wrong.” ~Former NH Gov John Sununu

Can we clone Sununu and turn him loose?

★ Mitt Romney is polling around 41% in NH and, after winning in Iowa, is on track to become the first Republican to win IA and New Hampshire in an open-election year. Click below the fold to read more from The Granite State.

Read more…