Visual source: Newseum
Gail Collins:
Ron Paul, the libertarian congressman from Texas, now seems to have an outside chance of winning the Iowa caucus vote. Not the presidential nomination. It seems highly unlikely that the Republicans are going to give the nod to a guy who disapproves of the Patriot Act and marriage licenses.
But, still, he’s definitely having a moment.
And, therefore, I feel obliged to add him to our survey of presidential candidate book reports.
Just say a prayer Rick Santorum doesn’t take off next.
Nate Silver:
Gaps [between GOP polls and GOP key endorsements] of this magnitude are not common historically. Unless the measures are brought into better alignment in the next several weeks, 2012 will represent a key test between competing political science theories about how nominations are decided. Do party officials lead the process, eventually coaxing the voters to their preferred candidates? Or has popular support become the key driver and grown more immune to the establishment? As Mr. Romney’s party support has grown while his popular support remains stagnant, this is the question that the nomination turns upon.
Chris Van Hollen:
When measured against the bipartisan standard set by Simpson-Bowles, supercommittee Democrats made every effort to move to the middle and put forward a deficit-reduction plan that met the test of balance. Republican proposals, however, fell far short, relying totally upon spending cuts and achieving $1 trillion less in total deficit reduction.
After weeks of intense talks, the failure to break the political gridlock is disappointing. We can no longer afford to punt on the difficult choices that we have been elected to address. The path to a balanced and fair solution is clear — but unless both sides are prepared to muster the political will, we cannot get there.
TPM on Newt's immigration problem (he tried to be "humane"):
So this is playing out for Gingrich basically as you’d expect. Will it put an end to his surge in the polls? That’s yet to be seen, but Gingrich is certainly facing the same kind of grilling that put Perry away earlier this year.
Max Stier:
As our nation confronts historic deficits, federal leaders are being asked to dramatically slash budgets and shrink government. There are no easy or painless ways to make the deep spending cuts on the horizon, but there are many bad ways that will damage government’s ability to effectively serve the American people.
Tim Stanley:
One of the most interesting things about the 2012 race is how it has exposed the many intellectual differences within American conservatism. Romney’s early lead distracted from this because he’s a gadfly, floating from one position to another. But Newt’s rise will force people to debate ideas more seriously. And the Republican voter is going to discover that he offers a unique vision that may not be entirely to their liking. Behind all his bluster, Newt Gingrich doesn’t want to abolish government at all. He would rather use it to help shape a brave, new, borderless world of sober entrepreneurs.
Stacey Patton:
African Americans share white Americans’ anger about corporate greed and corruption, and blacks have a rich history of protesting injustice in United States. So why aren’t they Occupying?
“Occupy Wall Street was started by whites and is about their concern with their plight,” Nathalie Thandiwe, a radio host and producer for WBAI in New York, said in an interview. “Now that capitalism isn’t working for ‘everybody,’ some are protesting.”