The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

LIVE AT FIVE – 01.04.12

Posted on | January 4, 2012 | 3 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
Romney, Santorum: Too Close To Call In Iowa

Romney looks forward to a long race for the nomination; he and Santorum poll 25% each, Ron Paul third with 20%; Gingrich, Perry and Bachmann bring up the rear

Mount Rainier Gunman Found Dead of Hypothermia, Drowning
Face-down in a creek in the park

Israelis, Palestinians Finally Meet Again
Trying to restart the stalled peace process in Jordan



POLITICS
Bachmann Staying In The Race

Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-MN

Hanging tough despite last-place Iowa finish

Gingrich: No More Mister Nice Guy

Obama Counterpunches In Iowa

Defense Budget Cuts Mark Retreat From Two-War Capability

Special Forces Engineer Forgot About C-4 In Bags

Tight Iowa Caucus Results Take TV Anchors By Surprise
DERP!

Palin Comments On “Draft Sarah” Campaign (Video)



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Wall Street Rings In 2012 With A Rally
Fed Boosts Transparency With Decision To Reveal Rate Forecasts
Europe Stock Futures Fall Before Bond Sales
Oil Hovers Below $103 On Improving U.S. Economy
Trade Group Expects Little Excitement From IPOs This Year
Gun Sales Spike In December
Online Sales Buoy UPS, FedEx
RIM Slashes PlayBook Prices Amid Rumors Of Board Shakeup
CES 2012 Preview: Ultrabooks Everywhere
Is CES Still Important?
Kindle Fire Burned Up To 2 Million iPad Sales
HP Unveils Two New Desktop PCs



SPORTS
Gibbons’ Field Goal Lifts Michigan To OT Win Over Virginia Tech In Sugar Bowl

Brendan Gibbons congratulated by Drew Dileo after kicking winning FG

Wolverines claw out a 23-20 win in overtime

Kobe Scores 37, Bynum Shines In Lakers Win Over Rockets

Hudler Scores Two, Leads Wings Past Stars 5-4



Norv Turner Gets Reprieve, Stays With Chargers

Reid’s Survival As Eagles Coach Draws Mixed Reactions

Mariners In Holding Pattern As They Pursue Prince Fielder

Clarke Slays India In Sydney
At close of second day, Australia at 482 for four with Clarke still at the crease on 251, in position to break record for high score at the Sydney Cricket Ground



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Angelina Jolie Buys Brad Pitt A Waterfall For Christmas

Angelina & Brad

Buys Brad waterfall in California so he can realize his dream of building a new Fallingwater

Beckham Packs A Punch In Underwear Ad

Proust Smackdown: Clooney v. Craig v. Damon



Girl, 7, Gets Liposuction Voucher From Surgery-Obsessed Mom

Fergie Thinking About A Baby This Year

No Room For Rosie

Liza Minnelli Lands Role On “Hot In Cleveland”

Brandi Glanville’s Vegas Marriage Already Over?

“Dragon Tattoo” Sequel Still On Track, Sony Says



FOREIGNERS
Iran Warns U.S. Not To Return Carrier To Gulf
Leading In Vote, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Reaches Out To Rival Parties
Taliban Leaders Held At Gitmo To Be Released In Peace Deal
Arab League Falters In Syria As Options Dwindle
Youssou N’Dour Takes On Senegal’s President
ROK President To Meet With PRC Prexy; First Summit Since Death Of Kim Jong-Il



BLOGS & STUFF
Hit & Run: Rick Santorum’s Nephew Just More Of A Ron Paul Fan
Byron York: In GOP Ad War, Why Did Romney Get Off Easy?
Weasel Zippers: McRINO To Endorse Romney Today
Allahpundit: “We Have Nearly Reached The Rubicon When The Not-Romney Crowd Is Pining For Jon Huntsman”
Don Surber: Working Class Zero
PowerLine: Obama’s Surrender Of Afghanistan Continues Apace
Bare Naked Islam: CAIR Tries To Blame BNI For New York Fire Bomb Attacks
Althouse: Wisconsin Democratic Party Mum On Number Of Recall Walker Signatures Gathered
Via Meadia: Iran – Time For The Enemy To Vote
Michelle Malkin: Iowa-Bashing Snobs And Poor Losers
Marginal Revolution: Krugman’s Response To Alex
Peter Suderman: Obamacare’s Dangerous Device Tax


SOTD: Duel

Category: Live at Five

IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS HQ
UPDATE: Santorum Surge in Precinct Numbers Exceeds Poll Projections

Posted on | January 3, 2012 | 72 Comments

JOHNSTON, Iowa
UPDATE 2:30 a.m. CT: Well, I’ve hit my deadline for The American Spectator, and Phil Klein of the Washington Examiner has invited me to breakfast. All rest of the press corps have left the Stoney Brook here, except for a guy filing an article for a French magazine. And this will be my final update of the night/early morning. Here’s a picture of the candidate and his family:

They were accepting a gift from one of their Iowa supporters. And I want to thank all of our readers — and Smitty, and my wife — for helping make this trip possible. Here’s the obligatory photo of the National Affairs Desk:

I’m outta here. I’ll be flying out Thursday to New Hampshire. Hit the freaking tip jar!

UPDATE 12:20 a.m. CT: Finally collected the beer that Santorum’s Iowa field director Jake Braunger had promised me. That 24-year-old kid just became an American political legend. Not for buying me a beer, but for leading the grassroots army which — as of this point, with 99% of the precincts reporting — has Santorum winning with an 18-vote margin.

UPDATE 11:50 p.m. CT: Just got through with Senator Santor’s victory speech. Robert Costa of NRO and I were back by the door. The room was packed past fire-code capacity and the cops wouldn’t let anyone else in. That was when the New York Times photographer showed up and tried to get past the cops.

No way, the cops wouldn’t yield. “But … I’m from the New York Times.”

The cops didn’t care. Nobody was getting past them.

A triumph for The Rule of Law in the American Heartland.

And I remember when Santorum couldn’t get any national media coverage except . . . Well, me.

UPDATE 10:53 p.m. CT: Rick Perry just began his concession speech — a humiliating fifth-place finish for the former front-runner. Can’t hear the TV here in the Loose Moose Saloon, so I’m not sure, but I think he started his speech with four words: “Howdy. Thank you, Erick.”

UPDATE 10:45 p.m. CT: Gingrich and Bachmann have given their concession speeches. When will Mitt Romney give the speech admitting that he just got beat by Rick Santorum, a guy who spent a mere fraction of what the perennial front-runner spent? The natives here are getting restless waiting for the victory speech, and I’ve got an editor in Washington, D.C., waiting for me to file a column tonight.

Best thing about being a U.S. ambassador, I’m told: There are no deadlines in the diplomatic corps. Hit the freaking tip jar!

UPDATE 10:10 p.m. CT: Ron Paul just conceded. He’ll finish third. Here at Santorum Victory HQ, a campaign spokesman just did a mike-check at the party: “Let’s just say that Senator Santorum is in high spirits.” A speech by the man of the hour is expected shortly. The scene inside the big room:

I’ll have to go wedge myself into that room, if I’m gonna get video. So it will be a few minutes before I can update again.

Hit the freaking tip jar!

UPDATE 9:27 p.m. CT: Results with 49% of precincts:

Rick Santorum …. 13,594 (24%)
Mitt Romney …… 13,204 (24%)
Ron Paul …………. 12,205 (22%)
Newt Gingrich ….. 7,426 (13%)
Rick Perry ……….. 5,544 (10%)
Bachmann ………… 3,140 (6%)

Santorum now has more votes than Gingrich and Perry combined.

UPDATE 9:20 p.m. CT: Demonstrating the power of Rick Santorum to bring America together, I have just revoked all my previous threats to whup David Brooks’s ass:

Good-bye, grassroots populist street cred! Hello, Vanuatu!

UPDATE 8:55 p.m. CT: The latest with 31% of precincts:

Mitt Romney …… 7,844 (23%)
Rick Santorum …. 7,726 (23%)
Ron Paul …………. 7,655 (23%)
Newt Gingrich ….. 4,440 (13%)
Rick Perry ……….. 3,433 (10%)
Bachmann …………. 1,922 (6%)

Just bumped into a member of Santorum’s South Carolina organization — y’know, the organization that all the Smart Guy pundits keep saying Santorum doesn’t have — who said to me: “Vanuatu’s looking pretty good now, huh?”

Yeah. They read my stuff.

(9:15 p.m. CT: Smitty compiled the following aggregation of links.)

Nate Silver: “Why I’d Bet on Santorum (and Against My Model)”

Our model is more optimistic about Mr. Santorum than those of other objective forecasting systems, which give him about 16 percent of the vote. The reason is that our model gives extra credit to Mr. Santorum for his momentum in the closing days of the campaign. But there is some reason to think that it is still giving Mr. Santorum too little credit.
The momentum factor in our model is derived from an analysis of competitive primaries and caucuses throughout the country since 1980. It does not contain any Iowa-specific variables, although it does recognize that polling in Iowa and other early-voting states tends to be more erratic than polling in later-voting states.
There is reason to think, however, that momentum might be especially important in Iowa.

Erick Erickson: “What if Santorum Wins?”

If Santorum wins, a lot of people will be correct in saying Mitt Romney is still a winner because Santorum has no money or real organization to go beyond Iowa.
But my God in Heaven, the media is finally going to be confronted with an “Emperor Has No Clothes” moment on Romney too. That remains the most under reported story of 2012. Mitt Romney, campaigning since 2006 for President has managed to go from 23% to 23% in six years.

The Hill: “Ron Paul supporters heckle Santorum“:

Rick Santorum was heckled by Ron Paul supporters as he left a high school in West Des Moines on Tuesday. The crowd chanted “Big-spending Rick” and “nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey, goodbye.” When The Hill asked Santorum what he thought of the crowd as they began chanting, he paused, smiled tightly and said “It’s the crowd at the caucuses that matters.”

UPDATE 8:32 p.m. CT: The latest numbers, with 24% of precincts reporting:

Ron Paul …………. 6,067
Rick Santorum …. 6,060
Mitt Romney …… 6,018

I hereby demand a personal apology from everyone who ever said that either Gingrich or Perry were the only candidates who could stop Romney.

* * * PREVIOUSLY (7 p.m. CT) * * *

Greetings from the beautiful Stoney Creek Inn, scene of tonight’s Rick Santorum victory party. It is now 7 p.m. CT, which means that Iowa Republicans have just assembled in precinct caucus locations across the Hawkeye State where they will cast the ballots that will determine the GOP nomination next President of the United States destiny of the Free World fate of all humanity.

If you’re in Iowa tonight, it’s important that you come to the beautiful Stoney Creek Inn so you can celebrate Rick Santorum’s victory and also, incidentally, buy me beers.

If you’re not in Iowa tonight, we will be bringing you all the news and results from tonight’s contest, the results of which are impossible to predict beyond the fact — a Neutral Objective Fact — that Rick Santorum will crush all rivals like Godzilla stomped Tokyo. And you’ll want to refresh the site throughout the night for continuous updates as soon as these dadgum Iowa voters decide whether they want to

A. Vote for Rick Santorum, the Only Man Who Can Save America From Another Four Years of Barack Obama™;
B. Sell their souls to the GOP Establishment by voting for the Worst RINO in the History of RINO-dom.
C. Cast a protest vote against the “Israel lobby,” IYKWIMAITYD; or
D. Waste their votes on some doomstruck loser.

You may disagree with that assessment, but it’s as valid as Joy McCann’s ridiculous arguments on behalf of one of those doomstruck losers.

UPDATE 7:44 p.m. CT: Bad news. Rick Santorum Victory Celebration has . . . a cash bar.

I just told the lady I should be covering the the Romney campaign, where I’m sure the press gets all the free booze they want.

UPDATE 7:54 p.m. CT: A couple of photos:


The lady at the Media Credentials Check-In Table searches her database for the name of the Future Ambassador to Vanuatu.


Campaign manager Mike Biundo, who just gave an impromptu press conference here at the Loose Moose Saloon, which is where the press filing center is located. Zeke Miller of Buzz Feed Politics supplies the quotes. (I figure the junior members of the press corps do the transcription.)

The first results on TV showed a neck-and-neck tie, with Santorum actually leading and, when I said, “Santorum leading!” Somebody in the press filing center said, “Four percent” — the percentage of precincts reporting. To which I replied, “Don’t harsh my mellow, man.”

UPDATE 8:20 p.m. CT: Guess who showed up at Santorum HQ? The guy who’s been badmouthing Santorum for days:

The latest Iowa returns show Rick Perry a weak fifth place, barely 10% in Iowa. “Howdy. Thank you, Erick.”


Category: Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in Iowa, Iowa

Pre-Caucus Night Nap Time

Posted on | January 3, 2012 | 22 Comments

The rented Mustang convertible I got for the price of a Toyota

JOHNSTON, Iowa
Just got back from the Stony Creek Inn, across the highway from my hotel, where they’re setting up for tonight’s big victory celebration for Rick Santorum. Just so you know: Election Night events are always billed in advance as “victory” parties, because nobody wants to send out invitations to a “Hey, We Might Finish Second” party.

If Santorum finishes third here — let’s say, 19% — that’s a huge victory for a campaign that was in single digits in all the polls two weeks ago. And by finishing third, Santorum would place ahead of three candidates (Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann) who have out-spent him many times over.

If Santorum finishes second — say, 22% — that would be enormous, since it would indicate he’s out-organized the fanatical supporters of Ron Paul.

And if . . .

We’re not even going to go there, OK? I’m ruling out any such possibility. Everybody knows Mitt Romney is going to win this thing, even though he’ll win it with less than 30% of the vote. But if somehow the impossible happens, all bets are off.

When I arrived at the Stony Creek Inn, Senator Santorum and his family were on their way out to visit Des Moines Christian School for one of their final pre-caucus appearances. He was cheerful, but obviously weary from the grueling pace of this all-out campaign blitz of the past two weeks. I’m amazed at his stamina. This is wearing me out, and I’m just blogging about the campaign.

Some quick news before I lay down for my nap:

Anyway, that’s enough to do you for a few hours. Like Rick Santorum’s final surge here in Iowa, my expenses on this trip have exceeded expectations. So reader contributions to the Shoe Leather Fund are, as always sincerely appreciated.

They’re setting up a big party over at the Stony Creek Inn and, because of limited space, the press filing center will actually be in the hotel bar, which is called “The Loose Moose.”

That seems somehow ironically appropriate, doesn’t it?





PREVIOUSLY:


Category: Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in Iowa, Iowa, Shoe Leather Fund

Desperate Hours in the Hawkeye State

Posted on | January 3, 2012 | 23 Comments

JOHNSTON, Iowa
Republican voters are getting bombarded with robocalls all over Iowa. Last night, I talked to the night clerk at my hotel here. She’s a mother of three and a Republican, an undecided voter who isn’t even sure she’ll attend her precinct caucus tonight in Grimes. She told me she’s getting calls at home nearly every 30 minutes.

Some of these robocalls are nothing but flat-out lies. There are calls claiming that Rick Santorum isn’t pro-life and isn’t pro-Second Amendment when, in fact, he’s a famously staunch pro-lifer and has an A+ career rating from the National Rifle Association.

Of course, I suspect that Rick Perry’s campaign is behind this. And whether my suspicion is right or wrong, the Perry campaign is a lamentable joke here in Iowa. I’ve been talking to experienced Iowa Republicans during my travels the past week, and experienced observers are united in the opinion that Perry has wasted millions of dollars on a campaign that has done him more harm than good. 

The campaign I dubbed “The Phantom Menace” in August has been an even more wretched disaster than I predicted. According to Nate Silver’s final pre-caucus poll analysis, Perry will be lucky to get 10 percent in the Hawkeye State. A fourth- or fifth-place finish here would, by the normal calculus of politics, cause Perry to quit. But if he did quit, his campaign advisers and consultants would be out of work, so they have convinced him to keep going. And even though they have apparently come to grips with the fact that they’re going to get their asses handed to them in Iowa tonight, they’re still flooding the airwaves with TV ads and pestering people with robocalls.

As I’ve said, if desperation was a cologne fragrance, they’d reek of it. 

Those who have supported Perry should be furious at how they’ve been humiliated, outraged by the arrogant incompetence of Perry’s staff and (ridiculously overpaid) campaign consultants.

And isn’t it time that some people started re-assessing the potential for Rick Santorum to turn a strong showing in Iowa into a campaign that can defeat Mitt Romney for the GOP nomination? Read more

Category: Fear and Loathing in Iowa, Iowa, New Hampshire, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, South Carolina

Remember the Crying Girl?

Posted on | January 3, 2012 | 52 Comments

JOHNSTON, Iowa
Last night I called my wife and told her I loved her, after listening to Rick Santorum’s speech to his supporters at the final town hall meeting before Caucus Day here in Iowa. Santorum paid tribute to his wife, Karen, and also to his children, who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much:

Being away from home this past week — I flew out to Iowa the day after Christmas — I could appreciate how sincerely Santorum felt about his family’s role in his campaign. He went a long time with very little money to hire staff or buy ads, and so his wife and kids made phone calls and did a lot of other work necessary to keep his campaign going. The first time I covered him in August, at an event held in a barn amid the cornfields near Roland, Iowa, his wife and kids were serving ice cream:

And then, on the day of the Ames Straw Poll, I bumped into three of his kids while they were just wandering around seeing the sights:

Longtime readers of this blog know that I was on the Cain Train from the get-go, and the main reason I covered the Santorum campaign back in August was as a favor to my Twitter buddy Lisa Graas, who has been a Santorum supporter all along. In October, when I went to the Value Voter Summit in DC, both Santorum and his wife lobbied me to get behind their campaign. But I’m very keen on loyalty, and despite my friendliness toward Santorum, I rode the Cain Train all the way to the end.

Readers may remember how it hurt that Saturday when I had to explain to my 13-year-old Jefferson that “suspend” means “quit.” And you may also remember that I had taken Jefferson with me as my assistant when I went to cover the Values Voter summit, when Jefferson posed for a picture with Senator Santorum:

If you remembered all that, congratulations: My own memory is kind of shaky sometimes. I’m awful with names, for example, and haven’t been able to keep the names of Santorum’s kids straight in my mind. So now we come to the whole point of this post, what happened last night at the final town hall meeting of Santorum’s Iowa campaign.

When I walked into the Pizza Ranch, the first person I talked to was Shane Vander Hart of Caffeinated Thoughts, who was one of the first Iowa bloggers to endorse Santorum. Shane recalled how for a long time it seemed his candidate was doomed and now . . .

Well, we were standing behind Carl Cameron, who was doing a live remote for Fox News. And it seemed like every other reporter on the planet was in that pizza restaurant. Clearly, Santorum had become the hot ticket in the Hawkeye State. Santorum’s family was with him, and at one point I found myself talking to them, which became the lead of my column today for The American Spectator:

ALTOONA, Iowa — A teenager stood beside the salad bar at Pizza Ranch here Monday night, surrounded by a huge crowd packed into the restaurant for Rick Santorum’s final Iowa town hall meeting before Tuesday’s caucuses. Carl Cameron of Fox News was there, as was conservative talk-radio host Laura Ingraham and so many reporters and photographers that some Republican voters who had come to see the surging Republican presidential candidate were forced to park in the lot of a nearby Hy-Vee grocery store. This vivid evidence that the former Pennsylvania senator has suddenly become the man of the hour in the Hawkeye State clearly made an impression on the brown-haired girl standing beside the salad bar.
“Our prayers are paying off,” said 13-year-old Sarah Maria Santorum, whose father soon emerged from the throng, stood on a chair and addressed the crowd. …

“Our prayers are paying off.” Read more

Category: Election 2012, Family, Fear and Loathing in Iowa, Iowa, Rick Santorum

LIVE AT FIVE – 01.03.12

Posted on | January 3, 2012 | 5 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


TOP NEWS
24 Year Old Arrested In LA Arson Spree

LA firefighters battle blaze under carport

Tough luck to those who had (redacted) in the pool

Iranian Navy Test-Fires Cruise Missile
Strutting their stuff during maneuvers near the Strait of Hormuz

Cuomo Gets Credit For Governing From Center
Dismisses talk of White House run



POLITICS
Decision Day Here For Hawkeye Caucii

The seven GOP presidential contenders

Overview of the last day’s campaign events, per the Des Moines Register

YOUR WORLD IS DOOMED AND ONLY RON PAUL CAN SAVE YOU

SecDef Panetta Facing Tough Choices

Mitt Romney Redefines Momentum

Obama Returns To Chilly Washington, Political Scene

Supremes Take Up Idaho Property Rights Dispute



THE ECONOMY, STUPID
Brent Crude Hits $109 On China Data, Iranian Threats
European Stocks, Euro Firm On Economy Hopes
Dollar Falls As Signs Of Manufacturing Growth Damp Safety Demand
Smallest S&P Gain Since 2005 Seen By Wall Street Analysts
Caterpillar, Rio Tinto Lock Out Canadian Workers After Talks Fail
No Hacking Required: Rupert Murdoch Signs Up For Twitter
WebOS: Doomed From The Start?
A Tasteless iDea
Gasoline Falls Below $3 In Denver
EA, Nintendo, Sony Withdraw Support For SOPA



SPORTS
Australia Takes Charge After Restricting India

India's Sehwag walks from the field after being dismissed by Australia's Pattinson during the second cricket test in Sydney

Pattinson takes four wickets as Aussies bundle India out for 191 on second day of Test, finish frenetic day on 116 for three

Oklahoma State Beats Stanford 41-38 In Fiesta Bowl

Quack Attack: Oregon Sets Rose Bowl Records

Rangers Rally For Classic Finish

Colts’ Irsay Fires Polians

Defense Struggles, Early Mistakes Lead To Thunder’s First Loss Of Season



FAMOUS FOR BEING FAMOUS
Aretha Franklin Getting Married

Aretha Franklin and Willie Wilkerson

Queen of Soul gets her king

Demi Moore To Play Gloria Steinem In “Lovelace”

Beyonce “Enormously Pregnant In Sky-High Heels”

Brandi Glanville Drunkenly Weds MMA Manager Darin Harvey

Kirstie Alley: I’m Dancing For 100 Days

Katy Perry Leaning On Rihanna During Divorce

Ellen Barkin Blasts NYPD, Bloomberg Over #OWS Arrests

Hefner Makes New Year’s Resolution: Stay A Bachelor

Carnie Wilson Says Weight Is Back Up

Derek Jeter & Minka Kelly Rekindling Romance?



FOREIGNERS
France Wants Stricter Sanctions On Iran
Arab League Says Syria Monitors Helping, Activists Disagree
Egypt Holds Final Round Of Voting As Mubarak Faces Prosecutors
Opposition Protests New Hungarian Constitution
Chile Battles Huge Forest Fires
Government Bans All Spas In Maldives After Islamist Protests



BLOGS & STUFF
NRO Corner: Newt Doubts He’ll Win Iowa, Slams Romney
Pirate’s Cove: Can Ron Paul Capture The Youth Vote?
Legal Insurrection: Dear Iowa, A Vote For Santorum Is A Vote For Romney
Verum Serum: Santorum Surging, So Here Comes The Race Card
Israel Matzav: Why Iowa?
Gateway Pundit: “60 Minutes” Grills Eric Cantor On Why He’s A Republican In Sunday Night Hit Piece
American Power: #OWS Crashes Rose Parade With 70′ Nazi-Era Octopus Depicting Global Jewish Conspiracy
Pat Dollard: The Book – GOP Publishes 500-Pages Of Quotes And Videos Using Obama Against Obama
Yid With Lid: Former Staffer Eric Dondero Responds To Ron Paul’s “I Don’t Believe In 9/11 Conspiracies”
Jihad Watch: Egyptian Islamist Preacher Calls For Ministry To Promote Virtue
Biased BBC: Polly Toynbee’s Blind Prejudice
Ed Driscoll: Andrea Mitchell’s Bitter Clingers Moment


SOTD: Explosive

Category: Live at Five

Santorum, Duggars, And Fundraising As The Deadline Looms

Posted on | January 2, 2012 | 6 Comments

by Smitty

Stacy is getting down to crunch time, somewhere in the corner of an Iowa deli. He asks that I call your attention to something he put up in the Green Room, over at Hot Air:

For months, Santorum has been the only Republican presidential candidate whose campaign didn’t have a big custom bus – and he still doesn’t, because this bus actually belongs to the famous Duggar family of Arkansas, who arrived in the Hawkeye State this week to join their favorite candidate’s final push in the Iowa caucuses. I interviewed John Duggar, one of the family’s 20 children, at the event in Boone:


Read the whole thing.

Also over at Hot Air, Tina Korbe quotes Political Ticker’s note from Rick on finances:

“I would just stay this: We have raised more money in the last few days than we have in the last few months. And going from zero to 60 in the polls, if you will, will help those resources a lot,” said Santorum, in response to a question from the town’s mayor, asking if the candidate had the financial resources to take on President Barack Obama.

Nothing succeeds like success. Tomorrow’s caucus vote is rather clearly as crucial to Santorum’s campaign viability as, say, the 2010 election was the the survival of this country.

While falling short of saying that other candidates have not also worked hard, one might venture that a candidate who has had to scrape by, and spend more time pressing the flesh could have a better finger on the pulse of the Tea Parties than the more insider, elite, well-heeled, deep pocketed, fully staffed, focus group tested, hung out in the queue and now it’s their turn, dol burn it, ones.

Category: Iowa, Republicans, Rick Santorum

Rule 5 Monday: Apocalypse Edition

Posted on | January 2, 2012 | 11 Comments

— compiled by Wombat-socho


So here we are in 2012, when according to a bunch of people who don’t understand Mayan the ancestors of today’s Guatemalans say the world is going to end. Whatever; we have pulchritude to post! On the off chance that your HR department gets to you before the Rapture happens, though, I remind you that the following links contain a vast selection of pictures which are not even remotely work safe despite containing no soft-core or hard-core pr0n. Tits may bring hits, but they also bring the hairy eyeball of HR, so don’t read this at work, mmmkay? On with the show!


First out of the inbox this week is Laughing Conservative with Emily Ratajkowski (and more Emily), followed by the Rio Norte Line with Zoe Saldana and Fishersville Mike with Lauren Alaina. Randy’s Roundtable lists his top five Rule Five draws of the year, also, Heather Jo Hughes. Reaganite Republican goes With Miss Albania 2011, the toothsome Xhesika Berberi, while Three Beers Later points to Karla Luna as evidence of gorbal warmening. Or something.


Proof Positive had Melissa Adams, vintage babe Claudette Colbert, and some sex in advertising starring Scarlett Johansson.


A View From The Beach kicked off his week of Rule 5 with some Seven of NineJeri Ryan, the “Did You Just Look At My Breasts?” video, and some Christmas cuties from Vargas and others.


Soylent Green’s inter-holiday Monday Motivationer was Erika Zivovic, followed by Karen Elaine Price, some British birds, Happy Hour Hotness, Friday’s corset brief, and an apology for sleeping in.


Dustbury went with the interesting duo of Benazir Bhutto and Jessica Stam, while Maggie’s Notebook stuck to her musical theme with Yesica Toscanini and Troglopundit offered the extremely useful PSA “A Very Zombie Holiday”. The Camp of the Saints was away from the Intertubes this holiday season, and only has Carol Alt and Alice Eve for us. Valley of the Shadow rattles the tip jar with Siouxsie Sioux and Postaldog barely makes it under the wire with xoxo Leah.


The Daley Gator’s Megahit Megababes last week were India Arie, Beyonce, Meagan Good, Jennifer Allen, Lisa Marie Scott celebrating the one millionth hit, and Crystal Leigh.


Thanks to everyone for their links! Deadline for next week’s Rule 5 roundup, which will actually be on Sunday for once, is Saturday, January 7; please make sure all your Rule 5 linkagery goes to Rule 5 Wombat and NOT the e-mail address at the top of the post!

Category: Rule 5
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