Drudge announced breaking news with an exclusive report early Wednesday evening, stating that ABC News had conducted an interview with Newt Gingrich’s second wife Marianne Gingrich for a program to be aired in the future. Following is that initial report:

**Exclusive**

Wed Jan 18 2012 18:47:14 ET

Marianne Gingrich has said she could end her ex-husband’s career with a single interview.

Earlier this week, she sat before ABCNEWS cameras, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

She spoke to ABCNEWS reporter Brian Ross for two hours, and her explosive revelations are set to rock the trail.

But now a “civil war” has erupted inside of the network, an insider claims, on exactly when the confession will air!

MORE

ABCNEWS suits determined it would be “unethical” to run the Marianne Gingrich interview so close to the South Carolina Primary, a curious decision, one insider argued, since the network has aggressively been reporting on other candidates.

A decision was tentatively made to air the interview next Monday, after all votes have been counted . . .

[emphasis added]

According to this first report, the breaking news stated that the interview would first be aired next Monday after the South Carolina primary. It was later reported that ABC News would air it on Friday. Then the Associated Press reported that ABC News would air it Thursday night. Sure seems confusing!

Contrary to what Gingrich keeps telling reporters this week (that Governor Romney will resort to “dirty tricks”), don’t believe any of it. This is between Ms. Gingrich and ABC News. According to Drudge, Gingrich cancelled a news conference yesterday to deal with the breaking news. What is there to “deal with” anyway? There is no new information except that she granted an interview.

Of course, without excerpts of the interview, it is difficult to know if what Marianne Gingrich discussed in the interview is revealing at all or just some additional insight into what is already known about the former congressman. But here’s a guess. Based on the fact that ABC News first intended to release it Monday, then moved it to Friday, and again to Thursday (“tentative”) seems to point to big news. Interviews with his second wife are rare in recent times. And if what she talks about is in fact big news, it is unlikely good news for Mr. Gingrich. Since we are precluded from publishing the AP short, click here to read the published report directly. It is hard to imagine Marianne Gingrich revealing anything more damning than what she said in August 2010.

Marianne Gingrich granted an interview to Esquire in 2010 in which she said of her former husband, in part,

“Newt always wanted to be somebody,” she says. “That was his vulnerability, do you understand? Being treated important. Which means he was gonna associate with people who would stroke him, and were important themselves. And in that vulnerability, once you go down that path and it goes unchecked, you add to it. Like, ‘Oh, I’m drinking, who cares?’ Then you start being a little whore, ’cause that comes with drinking. That’s what corruption is — when you’re too exhausted, you’re gonna go with your weakness. So when we see corruption, we shouldn’t say, ‘They’re all corrupt.’ Rather, we should say, ‘At what point did you decide that? And why? Why were you vulnerable?’ ”
[…]
Though Gingrich had made history and achieved extraordinary power, he still felt like an outsider, and the hatred touched something primal inside him. “All he wanted was to be accepted into the country club,” Marianne says. “And he arrives at the country club and he’s just not welcome. ‘Yeah, but I belong here,’ he said. ‘I earned my way to this. I earned it.’ ”

Next came the government shutdown of late 1995, which so alarmed the country that the poll numbers for Republicans went into a steep overnight decline. “Newt’s shocked, doesn’t know what to do,” Marianne says. “He’s like, ‘Whoa, wait, wait! This isn’t just my fault! We need to work this out!’ ”

Greta Van Susteren weighed in on Drudge’s “siren” with this in her GRETAWIRE:

This is not to say that news should be suppressed (it should not) but news should also not be used to ambush. Thus…in light of the close time to the South Carolina primary…if I were ABC, I would hold this interview until after the polls close on Saturday (or I would have showed it a week ago.)

Politico released a letter by Gingrich’s two daughters in their “Marianne Gingrich Speaks” article along with this,

But Drudge’s siren-headlined bulletin – his splash came a day after the 14-year anniversary of him breaking word of the Lewinsky scandal — ensures much more focus on [the] interview by the rest of the press.

The New York Times, in its “Gingrich Camp Responds to Ex-Wife’s Interview” article published the following,

Marianne Gingrich, the second of Mr. Gingrich’s former wives, was married to him for 18 years. After they divorced, Mr. Gingrich married his current wife, the former Callista Bisek, with whom he admitted conducting a lengthy affair while he was still married.

Word of the interview was leaked to The Drudge Report, which reported on Wednesday afternoon that a debate was taking place within ABC over whether it was fair to broadcast it so close to the crucial primary in South Carolina on Saturday.

An ABC source confirmed there was disagreement over the timing of the interview, which was conducted by Brian Ross of the investigative unit, which operates separately from the political news division.

The push-back on ABC from the Gingrich campaign was in the form of a letter signed by Mr. Gingrich’s two daughters from his first marriage, Kathy Lubbers and Jackie Cushman, who regularly accompany him on the stump.
[…]
An ABC News spokesman confirmed Wednesday night that “Nightline” will broadcast the interview at 11:35 p.m. Thursday; excerpts will be released earlier in the day, before a Republican debate sponsored by CNN on Thursday evening.
[…]
At ABC’s competitors like CBS and CNN, executives scrambled to figure out if someone at their own shop had scored a big scoop.

Just after 7 p.m., as the evening newscasts ended, the Web site revealed that it was ABC that had interviewed Ms. Gingrich.

The Drudge Report declared that there was a “civil war” inside ABC News about when to run the interview, though if there was, it was a short and bloodless one.

[emphasis added]

NOTE: It is the hope of the Mitt Romney Central team that ABC News will take a very responsible, fair, and truthful approach to their editing of anything Ms. Gingrich said. Reports indicate the interview lasted two hours. After accounting for TV commercials, the net broadcast time of the Nightline show is approximately 23 minutes total (normally divided among three segments). Even if ABC News takes the entire 23 minutes for this broadcast, they will edit out over 80% of it. With so little time left before voting in the primary, Team MRC hopes that whatever ABC News chooses to report is fair and not taken out of context.

Just prior to publishing this post, National Review Online reported this in “The Corner,” that the Gingrich campaign “will fight back” and then also later they “predict that Gingrich will likely ignore the story.” This is the last paragraph of the NRO post:

ABC News wanted Gingrich to come on Nightline to offer a rebuttal of sorts but Gingrich’s advisers declined. “This is a sideshow, a distraction,” the third source says. “Is it helpful? No. But is it a game-changer? No.”

Obviously this story will be all over the news today. Stay tuned. There is a very good chance that there is nothing new in the interview and that any hype associated with the Thursday teases will be nothing more than teases. In typical Matt Drudge style though, he gotten a lot of people to sit up and pay attention.

“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” – Helen Keler

“Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable than fidelity. Faithfulness and truth are the most sacred excellences and endowments of the human mind.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

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Coinciding with Luke’s article and the lies stuffed into the Newt Gingrich Super PAC film which attacks Mitt Romney and his time at Bain, here is video of Tommy Jones and Mike Baxley appearing today on America Live with Megyn Kelly (FOX News). They reveal how underhanded and conniving the Newt Gingrich Super PAC is:

Yoo hoo, Newt…?

Gingrich Paid $40,000 in Speech Praising Private Equity:

Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) — Newt Gingrich, the Republican presidential candidate who has criticized rival Mitt Romney for his role in the buyout industry, was paid $40,000 at a meeting two years ago to deliver a speech that praised the private equity industry, according to the meeting’s organizer.

“We paid him $40,000 and this gentleman praised private equity more fulsomely than I could ever do it,” Paul Levy, managing director at JLL Partners Inc., said in an interview with Bloomberg Television today. “He was great. He gave a great evening. Everybody had fun. He fielded a lot of questions. He gave us a lot of time. Nobody praised private equity, risk- taking, capital more fulsomely than Newt Gingrich.”
[...]

In the Bloomberg TV interview, Levy, who founded the private-equity firm JLL in 1988, urged more managers in the industry to speak out against the criticism from Gingrich and Romney’s other opponents.

“These people, I think, should step forward and speak to their achievements and say, by the way, not every deal goes well,” he said.

Levy said later in an e-mail to Bloomberg News that Gingrich’s response to his comments have “taken hypocrisy to a new level.”

(emphasis added)

CNN’s Squawk Box – Senator Pat Toomey slams Gingrich for attacking capitalism (video posted on Youtube on Jan 17, 2012):

Senator Pat Toomey says he is “appalled” by Newt Gingrich’s attacks on capitalism that have “adopted the language of the left” – predicts the attacks will FAIL.

► Jayde Wyatt

Independent fact-checkers have labeled the near 30 minute documentary “When Mitt Romney Came to Town” as “misleading” and “manipulative” — awarding it the maximum of 4 Pinocchios on the truth scale and comparing it to something Michael Moore could have produced (meaning that it is utterly full of horse manure).

But in case you needed more proof that the claims made in the video are completely bogus, look no further than this seven minute interview with a man that was unknowingly used as a political prop in the same film: Mike Baxley.

In the short interview, Baxley says he is wasn’t even talking about Mitt Romney or Bain in the clips that they used in the video. In fact, Baxley says that he received two promotions and a 30% salary increase while the company he worked for was under Bain Capital management.

This is politics at it’s worst – but get used to it, folks. The Obama campaign and the DNC, using these same tactics, will put nearly a billion dollars into distorting Mitt Romney’s record (assuming he’ll be the nominee), and they’ll drag American capitalism and free enterprise through the dirt with them.

No worries though, American people are smart enough to see through this. Obama’s attacks on free enterprise will have the same effect they’ve had on Gingrich, causing him to appear desperate and his poll numbers to plummet.

Here is the interview:

PS: Even though Gingrich has claimed to take the high road by asking his Super PAC to remove inaccurate portions of the film (all of it), the film remains – in it’s gross entirety – available for all to view in it’s original form (with plenty of ad money pushing people to view it). Watch him totally ignore this fact in tomorrow’s debate.


-Luke G.

Update: See video of Tommy Jones and Mike Baxley appearing today on America Live with Megyn Kelly (FOX News). Jones and Baxley take down claims made in the attack video. Watch it here.

There is a lot of talk these days about how Mitt Romney is a so-called “Massachusetts moderate” and how other candidates are trying to be the “conservative alternative” to Gov. Romney. Some even compare Mitt Romney to John McCain’s candidacy of 2008.

One very conservative and influential magazine called ‘The Weekly Standard,’ whose editor (Bill Krystol) is a regular panelist on Fox News Sunday, looked into the issue. The conclusion that they found is that Romney is “no moderate,” in fact:

“Romney is at least as conservative as his GOP rivals on jettisoning Obamacare and more conservative than some on entitlements, national security, and immigration. He’s no match for Gingrich on taxes, but that’s about it. Overall, he’s to the right of Gingrich.”

The article goes on to say that in regard to the top four most pressing issues of the day (namely Immigration, Tax Reform, Health Care, and Military Defense spending), Romney is “anything but moderate.”

“On four of the biggest issues in 2012, Romney is anything but moderate—or timid. He gets no special credit for advocating repeal of Obamacare. That’s Republican dogma. But he’s been the most specific among the GOP presidential candidates in backing the Ryan budget in all its parts, including its remake of Medicare. It was House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan’s plan that Gingrich zinged as “right wing social engineering” before reversing himself under duress.

When Romney announced in November his own proposal for cutting spending and reforming Medicare and Social Security, Paul Ryan was thrilled. “Look at what he put out!” he told Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post. “This is a great development.” Ryan said Romney’s package of spending cuts “tracks perfectly with the House budget,” which Ryan had drafted.”

Further Evidence

Further evidence of Romney’s conservative credentials is the fact that Romney made history in New Hampshire’s vote last week. Not only was he the first non-incumbent Republican to win both Iowa and New Hampshire, but in New Hamphire Romney got more votes from self-identified Republican voters than any other Republican candidate in history. Here is a brief summary on how New Hampshire Republicans voted:

“Mitt picked up 49% of GOP voters. Romney’s 49 percent is the highest mark among self-identified Republicans for any presidential candidate since New Hampshire moved its primary forward in the calendar.

Contrast that with John McCain, with whom he’s often compared as a squishy moderate with problems with Republicans.

McCain is the only candidate since 1980 to win New Hampshire even as he lost among self-identified Republicans.

That means McCain was essentially the worst winner with Republicans in New Hampshire over the past 30 years, while Romney was the best.”

As the Weekly Standard and polls from New Hampshire show, Romney is no moderate. He is a solid conservative. Strikingly, Romney is getting equal support from both conservatives and moderates among the voters and also from among congressmen and Governors who have endorsed Romney. Part of Romney’s strength is that he is a conservative that also appeals strongly to independents. That sounds like the kind of candidate we need running for the White House. 

Read more…

SC Governor Nikki Haley and former SC GOP Chairman Barry Wynn weigh in on last night’s presidential debate in Myrtle, South Carolina:

“Tonight, Mitt Romney once again displayed his vision, leadership, and grace under fire. He showed why he is without question the right man to end the chaos in Washington, D.C. and put America back to work. Neither our state nor our nation can afford four more years of President Obama, and it is critical that we nominate someone with Mitt Romney’s history of results. We need a president who has a record of not just talk, but of actually getting things done, and Governor Romney is that man.” ~ SC Gov Nikki Haley

“Mitt Romney came out ahead in tonight’s debate because he again showed that he is the best candidate to both take on President Obama and fix our economy. President Obama spent his life outside the private sector and it shows. Mitt Romney spent his life outside of politics, working in the real economy. In order to create private sector jobs in this tough economic environment, we need a president who worked in the private sector.” ~ former SC GOP Chairman Barry Wynn

Before South Carolinians vote on Saturday, Governor Romney has one more chance to show them his dynamic, determined, delightful self. CNN is hosting a debate on Thursday, Jan 19th in Charleston. According to most of the reports I’ve gathered, pundits say Newt Gingrich had a great night last night and Romney was winged. I agree that it wasn’t his best debate, but he held his own. I’m hoping we see more of the agile-smiling-sparring-superior Romney we know so well. And, the next time Newt or Rick Santorum interrupt The Gov, I hope he boldly says “chill” … then, charges in for checkmate.

More great news:

MITT ROMNEY ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF SOUTH CAROLINA LEADERS

Boston, MA – Mitt Romney today announced the support of key South Carolina business leaders, elected officials, veterans, and conservative activists.

“The wide range of support from conservatives across South Carolina proves that my message of a ‘Simpler, Smaller, and Smarter’ federal government is resonating with voters concerned about the direction of our country,” said Mitt Romney. “I’m happy to earn their endorsement and look forward to working with them for the vote of every South Carolinian.”

“The voters of South Carolina have an important choice to make regarding the future of this country,” said former South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Bob Faith. “We need a conservative candidate who will defeat President Obama and reverse his failed policies. That man is Mitt Romney. He is committed to getting rid of failed government programs like Obamacare. He is against government entities like the NLRB interfering with free enterprises like Boeing who want to invest in South Carolina and create jobs for South Carolinians. He is for restoring conservative principles to government, so that Washington will stop spending and start letting this country’s entrepreneurs and business leaders get back to creating jobs.”

“Our nation is at a crossroads, and Mitt Romney is the best choice to lead our country through these challenging times,” said Greenville County Council Chairman and retired Brigadier General Butch Kirven. “He is a strong leader who we can trust to restore limited government to Washington, cut spending, grow our economy, and get our nation back on the right track. I was looking for someone who reflects my values, is strong on national defense, and knows how to get the economy going again. Mitt Romney is the leader who can positively do that, and he can win in November.”

“It’s really simple, the only person of either party running for President who has created significant private sector jobs is Mitt Romney,” said retired executive Bill Hewitt. “He will implement the policies necessary to turn the economy around, start of story, end of story.”

(emphasis added)

South Carolina Leaders Supporting Mitt Romney:

Upstate
State Representative Don Bowen, Anderson
Greenville County Councilman Joe Dill
Greenville City Councilwoman Amy Ryberg Doyle
George Dean Johnson, Jr., Chairman, Johnson Development Associates, Spartanburg
Greenville County Council Chairman Butch Kirven
State Representative Phil Owens, Easley
Rick Pennell, Metromont Corporation, Greenville
Specialist John Snyder, U.S. Army, Ret., Greenville
Greenville Mayor Pro Tempore David Sudduth

Midlands
John H. Burriss, Owner of Gold’s Gyms of Columbia
Former York County GOP Chairman Henry Eldridge, Rock Hill
Richard J. Gaton, Columbia
Richard Jackson, CEO, C.R. Jackson, Inc., Columbia
Leighton Lord, Former Chairman, Nexsen Pruet, Columbia
State Representative Ralph Norman, Rock Hill
Former York County GOP Executive Committeewoman Karen Walto, Rock Hill

Coastal
Sally and Richard Coen, Mount Pleasant
Former South Carolina Attorney General Charlie Condon, Charleston
Former South Carolina Secretary of Commerce Robert A. Faith, Chairman & CEO, Greystar Real Estate Partners, Charleston
Rear Admiral, James Flatley, U.S. Navy, Ret., Charleston
William B. Hewitt, Retired Executive, Charleston
Former Bluffton Mayor Hank Johnston
Former South Carolina Secretary of Transportation Buck Limehouse, Charleston
Brigadier General Cliff Poole, U.S. Army, Ret., Charleston
Bill Prezzano, Charleston
Charleston County Treasurer Andy Smith
Jonathan Zucker, President, The InterTech Group, Charleston

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

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.

Love to see the endorsements rolling in from across the state… Now, let’s win this thing!

► Jayde Wyatt

If Ronald Reagan were alive and in attendance at last night’s debate, he likely would have reacted to Mr. Gingrich’s condescending remarks with, “Now there you go again Newt!”

Seeing Gingrich spread his arms, drop his chin to his chest, look down his nose at everyone, and say something like, — “Bret, you should have phrased that question in a more intelligent way, you simpleton” – makes for some entertainment, nothing more; it certainly does not add to the national deliberation of critical issues.

The mainstream media (yes, including FOX) want Gingrich and the others to keep running to elongate the race for ratings (cash) and drama. The simple proof was the post debate grilling of Romney by Hannity and his fawning over Gingrich not three minutes later, all the while effusively patting themselves on the back, declaring that FOX debate “the best ever!” Whatever respect I had left for Hannity evaporated completely last night.

The relentless attacks on Romney revealed a side of Governor Romney the world had not seen much before last night. He was strong but not overbearing. He displayed a disciplined intensity by answering the attacks as a graceful, patient gentleman. His stature was that of a supremely confident leader, undeterred by petty slander. In a word, Governor Romney was presidential. All the others appeared as ankle biters by comparison.

Governor Romney cited Michael Moore (referring to Gingrich) as quoted in The New York Times yesterday,

“I wondered who they stole from my crew,” Mr. Moore said in a phone interview. “It was fun to hear what I have been saying for 20 years, not just by any Republican candidate, but Newt Gingrich.”

Newt Gingrich will undoubtedly be quoted many times by Mr. Moore in his future propaganda. Yes, Gingrich is sealing his legacy in conservative circles — he will forever be known for doing his level best to degrade long held conservative principles of free enterprise as he selfishly attempts to exact revenge on Governor Romney.

Marc Thiessen of The Washington Post wrote of Gingrich,

When they meet in the green room before Monday night’s debate in South Carolina, Mitt Romney should probably give Newt Gingrich a big thank you. In just a few days’ time, Gingrich has managed has to do something Romney has tried and failed to do for more than five years: rally conservatives behind Mitt Romney.

Rush Limbaugh has called Gingrich’s attacks on Romney’s record at Bain Capital “indefensible,” “sad,” “absurd,” and “the language of leftists like Michael Moore and Oliver Stone.” Club for Growth President Chris Chocola declared them “disgusting” and called on Gingrich to “apologize to Governor Romney.” The Wall Street Journal wrote that those like Gingrich attacking Romney’s business record “are embarrassing themselves” and “taking the Obama line.”

As I have said many times in this forum, I don’t believe Mr. Gingrich the professor, is really that bright, contrary to what he thinks of himself and what others say of him. Why? Probably one of the biggest reasons Gingrich is failing in South Carolina is because the state is one of the few states that has very strict gambling laws on the books, which restrict gaming of all kinds — a fact South Carolinians are proud of. The source of funding Gingrich’s PAC is a Las Vegas casino owner — a fact that is offensive to voters of South Carolina. How smart do you have to be to avoid such a rookie error in seeking wealth from a gambling man?

I never thought Gingrich believed he could be a serious contender for the Presidency of the United States. His motivation has always been speaking fees inflated by continued fame and enhanced by book sales. Make no mistake, Newt Gingrich is a very wealthy man.

Joseph Curl of The Washington Times says it best in this article he titled, Goodbye, Newt, and Good Riddance:

Anyone who knows Newt Gingrich knows that Newt Gingrich is — and always has been — all about Newt Gingrich. Newt Gingrich doesn’t give a damn about the Republican Party. And Newt Gingrich sure doesn’t care about ousting President Obama, unless he’s doing the ousting. If Newt Gingrich can’t be the nominee, then Newt Gingrich will burn the whole place to the ground.

And that’s just what he’s done since plunging in the polls. Furious over the TV ads the pro-Romney super PAC ran against him in Iowa, Mr. Gingrich abandoned his pledge not to speak ill of his fellow Republicans and struck out on a course to destroy the Republican front-runner.

In one of many odd utterances, the former House speaker acknowledged as much in the run-up to the New Hampshire primary: “My real goal was to make sure that Romney did not win here by a big enough margin to develop real momentum.” Simple: Take Mr. Romney down, even if it brings down the entire Republican Party.
[...]
Mr. Gingrich’s descent into the nasty should surprise no one; the corpulent, thrice-married former speaker is clearly a man who cannot control his appetites. His decision to split for a vacation in the Greek islands during the first days of his campaign prompted his campaign team to resign en masse, leaving the candidate so rudderless he couldn’t even get on the ballot for some state primaries.

Without a disciplined team of advisers around him, Mr. Gingrich’s true character has shone through. Newt’s facade as an avuncular, even-tempered man of moderation has given way to the true Newt: angry, impulsive, irrational, undisciplined.
[...]
Here’s the fallout of Mr. Gingrich’s scorched-earth campaign for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination: The former speaker has lost his position as de facto head of the Republican Party — forever . . .

Yes, Mr. Gingrich’s continued presence in the national limelight is entertainment at best. It is sad to witness a man of his previous stature being reduced to a byword before our eyes.

“I am in love with you’, I responded. He laughed the most beguiling and gentle laugh. ‘Of course you are,’ he replied. ‘I understand perfectly because I’m in love with myself. The fact that I’m not transfixed in front of the nearest mirror takes a great deal of self-control.’ It was my turn to laugh.” ― Anne Rice, Blackwood Farm

“When the healthy pursuit of self-interest and self-realization turns into self-absorption, other people can lose their intrinsic value in our eyes and become mere means to the fulfillment of our needs and desires.” ― P.M. Forni, The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude

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The desperation of the candidates who are trying to beat Mitt Romney in South Carolina was palpable tonight. Gov. Romney knew it was coming and was well prepared. What did you think? Please leave a comment and let us know.

Hugh Hewitt gives the night to Mitt.

Mitt did a great job with Hannity after the debate:

UPDATE by Jayde:

“Mitt Romney came out ahead in tonight’s debate because he again showed that he is the best candidate to both take on President Obama and fix our economy. President Obama spent his life outside the private sector and it shows. Mitt Romney spent his life outside of politics, working in the real economy. In order to create private sector jobs in this tough economic environment, we need a president who worked in the private sector.” ~ former SC GOP Chairman Barry Wynn

“Tonight, Mitt Romney once again displayed his vision, leadership, and grace under fire. He showed why he is without question the right man to end the chaos in Washington, D.C. and put America back to work. Neither our state nor our nation can afford four more years of President Obama, and it is critical that we nominate someone with Mitt Romney’s history of results. We need a president who has a record of not just talk, but of actually getting things done, and Governor Romney is that man.” ~ SC Gov Nikki Haley

Finally, watch the debate in its entirety below the fold. Read more…

It’s a busy day today in the political world…

Governor Mitt Romney kicked it off with this remembrance of our civil rights hero, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:

Team MRC joins Gov Romney in saluting Martin Luther King Jr. for his extraordinary and historical work for racial equality. Dedicated on Oct 16, 2011, the very impressive 30-foot stone sculpture memorial of Dr. King is positioned so he gazes across the Tidal Basin at the Jefferson Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. To view an interactive page of the site honoring the civil rights leader, click here. Here’s video of visitors taking in the majesty of the memorial:

The Presidential race is now down to five…

Governor Romney issued this statement today following news of Jon Huntsman’s pulling out of the race:

“I salute Jon Huntsman and his wife Mary Kaye. Jon ran a spirited campaign based on unity not division, and love of country. I appreciate his friendship and support.”

The eagerly-awaited FOX News presidential debate will be held tonight at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, SC. The action gets underway at 9:00 PM ET on FOX News. The event is also being so-sponsored by the SC GOP and the Wall Street Journal. Moderators are Brett Baier, Juan Williams, and Wall Street Journal’s Gerald Seib. Participants include: Former MA Gov Mitt Romney, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Texas Gov Rick Perry, Rep. Ron Paul, and former Sen Rick Santorum. The gloves will be off!

We’ll post livefeed info as soon as it’s available, so check back. The official twitter hashtag for the Fox News debate is #foxdebate. You may also use twitter to weigh in on who is dodging their questions and who is answering them and to say you like Mitt’s responses. Tweet “#dodge” or “#answer” with the candidate’s name. See more here.

Romney suporters are invited to join us here on the MRC chat box when the event gets underway. Gov Romney, go get ‘em!

★ I was very pleased to learn that Jay and Jordan Sekulow, of the American Center for Law and Justice, have announced their support for Governor Romney. I have the utmost respect for Jay and his son, Jordan, who is following in his father’s footsteps. They are a powerful duo (read about their backgrounds below). Jay also gave very stirring closing remarks to Romney’s speech today at the Faith and Freedom coalition rally in Myrtle Beach, SC:

“Jay and Jordan have been on the front lines fighting for conservatives – it is an honor to have their support,” said Mitt Romney. “On issues of great importance to me, including religious freedom and protecting human life, Jay and Jordan have been tireless leaders. I look forward to working with them to ensure that we can bring conservative change to Washington.”

“In order for conservatives to make the changes in Washington that we have been fighting for, we must first defeat President Obama and have a leader with a proven record of getting things done,” said Jay Sekulow. “Mitt Romney is the one candidate who can take his pro-growth message to the American people and defeat President Obama. Throughout his life, he has proven that he will not back down from difficult situations – fixing the mess that President Obama has left will not be easy.”

“Mitt Romney’s record as governor and vision for our country is one that conservatives should be proud to support,” said Jordan Sekulow. “He cut taxes, balanced budgets, and defended both traditional marriage and life in a politically difficult environment. Mitt Romney’s ability to defeat President Obama and enact conservative change is why I support him and so many conservatives are backing his campaign.”

(emphasis added)

Background On Jay and Jordan Sekulow:

Jay Sekulow is Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice. He is an accomplished Supreme Court advocate, renowned expert on religious liberty, and a respected broadcaster. Jay Sekulow is an attorney with a passion for protecting religious liberty, freedom, and democracy. For nearly a quarter of a century, he’s been on the front lines – working to protect religious and constitutional freedoms in the courts, in Congress, and in the public arena. At the Supreme Court of the United States, Jay Sekulow has argued 12 cases – including several landmark cases which have become part of the legal landscape in the area of religious liberty litigation.

Jordan Sekulow is the Executive Director of the American Center for Law and Justice. He is the host of the Jordan Sekulow Show, a syndicated radio program that provides cutting analysis of today’s political and legal landscape and regularly features elected officials and conservative leaders from across the U.S. and around the globe. He also serves as co-host, along with ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, of the Jay Sekulow Live! radio broadcast and the ACLJ This Week television broadcast. Jordan, an attorney, has an LL.M. from Georgetown Law Center and oversees the organization’s international offices.
* Organizational references are for identification purposes only.

The Sekulow’s endorsements are especially meaningful in light of the SC primary and the Texas religious leaders’ huddle deciding to back an ‘anti-Romney’ candidate (Romney wasn’t even considered). Jay’s grandfather fled Russia because of religious persecution and, through the portals of Ellis Island, became an American. He spent his life peddling fruit in Brooklyn, New York. Today, his grandson argues cases before the Supreme Court of the United States… He and his son have endorsed Mitt Romney.

► Jayde Wyatt

Recently, I extended the invitation to a fellow Californian who will again vote for President Obama. Her name is Pauline Kejmar and she lives in Redlands — she is a Democrat. Her grandson Drew is my son-in-law.

There are still ardent supporters of President Obama and Pauline is one. Through Drew, I asked her if she would give me a TOP 10 list of reasons she believes President Obama is superior to Governor Romney as POTUS and why she plans to support Obama again.

You may ask why I would post subject matter of this type in a grassroots forum such as MittRomneyCentral. My reasoning is that it provides a simple glimpse into the mind of one Democrat and if we are successful here at MRC, we should be able to appeal to the Blue Dog Democrat as well as to the Independent voter (Americans all). To do so, we need to understand their motivations and expectations. I presume that Pauline is far from being a disaffected Democrat as her views below seem to align well with the more liberal wing of the Democrat party.

Governor Huntsman’s likely endorsement of Governor Romney today is the first of four hopefully, which will shift the focus of the campaign away from the Republican competitors to President Obama. WELCOME to any and all supporters of Governor Huntsman and to any of the supporters of Gingrich, Santorum, and Perry who are hoping to join a winning, organized, strong movement to restore America’s standing! Welcome to you!

It is too early to predict of course, but Romney could be on course to beat Reagan’s 1980 win over Carter — impressive indeed. In that race, Reagan won 44 states and 489 electoral votes to Carter’s six states (plus DC) and 49 electoral votes, and America is in far worse shape today. I remember those days. Reagan entered office with a mandate, in part because of Democrats that crossed over to vote for him. By the way, are any of you as sick and tired as I am of hearing Mr. Gingrich invoke the name of Ronald Reagan at every turn? I wish I could ask President Reagan his candid opinion of Gingrich!

REQUEST: For any of our readers that voted for Obama who became disillusioned with the direction his lack of leadership has taken America, and who is seriously considering a vote for Governor Romney this time (should he be the Republican nominee), please leave a comment as to why. I may contact you later to invite you to elaborate in a guest post — if you would like.

Following is one Democrat’s opinion as to why President Obama is the superior candidate for POTUS.

By Pauline Kejmar

Ten Reasons why I would vote for Obama over Romney

I. He is better able to bridge the increasing gap between the rich and the poor in this country.

2. He has been very successful in fighting terrorism with the killing of Bin Laden and many other top Al Qaeda leaders and operatives.

3. He fights for consumer financial protection such as regulating credit card fees.

4. He would be less likely to lead us into a armed conflict with Iran using sanctions and cooperation with other allies.

5. He was able to help get Gaddafi out of Libya without using U.S. ground troops.

6. He would be tougher on environmental protection because he believes in global warming.

7. Has a sensible approach to immigration. Illegal immigration numbers have decreased under Obama and deportation of illegal criminals has increased. He has a concern for those young people brought here at an early age to receive a path to legalization.

8. He has brought an end to the nine years of war in Iraq and sent our troops home. He is drawing down in Afghanistan after ten years.

2ND REQUEST: Please leave a comment to this post if you voted for Barack Obama in 2008 but are seriously considering a completely opposite approach by voting for Governor Romney, should he win the nomination. Also, let me know if you would be interested in expounding upon your views and opinions in a guest post to help other readers that have similar concerns. If so, I will contact you via email.

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…