Despite the Obama administration's unrelenting war on religion, Christmas appears to be coming early this year for Democrats.
With the Gingrich surge continuing unabated, conservative critics are emerging from behind the Iron Curtain to cast doubt on the electability and temperament of the self-described "ideas man."
The vast majority of them don't give two shits about Newt's infidelity to his wives; what really bothers them is his flirtation with communistic ideas—such as a belief in man-made global warming, and compassion.
I tell you, if such a hilarious primary season didn't already exist, we would've had trouble inventing it.
Morning lineup:
Meet the Press: Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX); Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL); Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC); Roundtable: Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R), Ted Koppel (NBC News), Lisa Myers (NBC News), Republican Strategist Alex Castellanos and Chuck Todd (NBC News).
Face the Nation: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN); Rep. (R-IA); Roundtable: Norah O'Donnell (CBS News) and John Dickerson (CBS News).
This Week: Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R); Roundtable: George Will (Washington Post), Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile, Republican Strategist Leslie Sanchez and Kathie Obradovich (Des Moines Register).
Fox News Sunday: Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R); Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY); Roundtable: Paul Gigot (Wall Street Journal), Mara Liasson (NPR), Sociopath Liz Cheney and Juan Williams (Fox News).
State of the Union: Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA); Former Rep. Robert Walker (R-PA); Former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu (R); Former Obama White House Communications Director Anita Dunn; Former Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA); Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe; Reliable Sources: Margaret Carlson (Bloomberg News); Matt Lewis (Daily Caller); John Harris (Politico); David Frum (Frum Forum); Rachel Sklar (Mediaite); Syracuse University Professor Robert Thompson.
The Chris Matthews Show: Major Garrett (National Journal); Kelly O'Donnell (NBC News); David Ignatius (Washington Post); Gloria Borger (CNN).
Fareed Zakaria GPS: Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R); Harvard University Professor Tarek Masoud; Daniel Yeargin (IHS Energy Research Authority).
Up with Chris Hayes: Republican Strategist Elise Jordan; Reihan Salam (The Daily); Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins (Green for All).
Evening lineup:
60 Minutes will feature: an interview with President Obama (preview); and, an interview with Warren Buffett and his son Howard, who was chosen to succeed his father as the head of Berkshire Hathaway (preview).
On Comedy Central:
Jon Stewart bid a fond farewell to Herman Cain.
The Daily Show
Monday: Chef/Author Anne Burrell
Tuesday: Harvard University Professor Lawrence Lessig
Wednesday: Director of White House Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes
Thursday: Actor Matt Damon
And Stephen Colbert defended Rick Perry against the Scrooges who've called his anti-gay/pro-Christmas ad "nuts."
The Colbert Report
Monday: Actor Samuel L. Jackson
Tuesday: Author Mark Whitaker
Wednesday: US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno
Thursday: Actor Daniel Craig
Elsewhere:
Michele Bachmann and Sean Hannity lamented their lack of high school prom dates.
BACHMANN: People do find out [in my book] that I did not get asked to my senior prom.
HANNITY: Well, neither did I. And nobody would go with me.
BACHMANN: Well, in my time, girls didn’t ask boys to prom. If you didn’t get asked, you didn’t go.
HANNITY: Yeah, well let me tell you, I have a 13-year-old son. Those days have changed big time.
BACHMANN: And our girls are not allowed to do that in our house. They have to wait for the boys to call.
And speaking of waiting in vain:
Some Republicans continue to hold out hope that a decent candidate will arrive on the scene.
Conservative leaders are looking into whether it is feasible for a dark horse to get on the ballot in select states. The deadline to qualifying for the ballot has passed in Florida, South Carolina, Missouri, and New Hampshire. But a candidate could still get on the ballot in states like Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Michigan and Texas. At the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, voters write in their choice, so there is no formal filing deadline.
The chatter about potential new entrants include former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, businessman Donald Trump, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint.
Meanwhile:
Donald Trump, who is having his own trouble fielding candidates, has decided to get into the ideas business with Newt Gingrich.
It was a great honor to have Newt up here," the business mogul remarked. "He did mention if I could do something for some of the kids in very, very poor schools throughout the city. I thought it was a great idea. We call it apprenticeship and we all know about ‘The Apprentice.'"
"We're going to be picking ten young, wonderful children, and we're going to make them apprenti. … It was Newt's idea, and I thought it was a great idea."
Grab a mop.
- Trix