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How Campaigns End

Numerically Florida and Nevada mean very little compared to the number of delegates a candidate needs to secure the Republican nomination. But as usually happens, a string of wins and the rest of the states start to fall into line. The latest numbers from PPP show Gingrich tanking in states like Minnesota and Colorado, where he was running strong only a short time ago.

Josh Marshall

It'll Get Funny Fast

If the economy is clearly on the rebound by the Fall -- still a big if -- Republican arguments for the presidency will start to get really comical. This morning Gov. McDonnell (R) of Virginia -- a major rising star -- said the improving economy is due to Republican governors, not President Obama.

Josh Marshall
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Straight Talk

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R): "Look, I'm glad the economy is starting to recover but I think it's because of what Republican governors are doing in their states. Not because of the President."

David Kurtz
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Feel The Buzz

Things are picking up in Nevada. Stay with TPM's Livewire for all the latest updates.

Thomas Lane

Not A Witch

Christine O'Donnell's bookselling magic.

Thomas Lane

Non-Traditional Newt

Newt announces he won't deliver a post-caucus speech, but will hold a presser instead.

Thomas Lane
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Newt Testament

Which Biblical figure does Newt Gingrich most remind you of? Nevada pastor Jim Garlow stakes his ground.

Thomas Lane

Know Your Base

Herman Cain's fundraising spiked after his sexual harassment allegations.

Josh Marshall

Here's What To Watch

The unemployment numbers this morning were not only good news for the country. They were unquestionably good news for the President's reelection efforts. A couple years ago, 8% unemployment was often the benchmark people referenced as what the President needed to be secure in his reelection efforts. By the middle of last year, that seemed wildly unrealistic. But now, with the news that the unemployment rate has fallen to 8.3%, we can't rule out the possibility that it will cross the 8% threshold by November.

But here's what to watch.

Read More →
Josh Marshall

Weakest Speaker Of The Modern Era?

In the not too distant past, the worst reputation to have in Washington was as someone who didn't negotiate in good faith, couldn't deliver what he promised, and wasn't a man of his word. Times have changed, of course. Someone like that can now be speaker of the House.

To be clear, John Boehner isn't a lying, cheating, scoundrel. He's merely an incredibly weak speaker with little sway over his own caucus. Here's the latest example of Boehner's weak-kneed leadership.

David Kurtz

Most Recent Latest news stories from TPM reporters

TPMDC

Bob McDonnell: GOP Governors Deserve Credit For The Recovery, Not Obama

Virginia Governor and Mitt Romney surrogate Bob McDonnell (R) on Sunday floated what may turn into a Republican talking point if the economy continues to improve: It wasn't President Obama who made it happen, it was the GOP governors. "Look, I'm glad the economy is starting to recover, but I think it's because of what Republican governors are doing in their states, not because of the president," McDonnell said on CNN's "State of the Union." The Virginia governor unleashed a comprehensive broadside...
TPMDC

Gingrich: Austerity Is Wrong For America, We Need Pro-Growth Policies Instead

Newt Gingrich said Sunday that an "age of austerity" is the wrong solution for the economy and would "punish" the American people. He said he prefers "pro-growth" policies instead. The comments appear to pour cold water on the modern Republican belief that austerity and growth go hand in hand. The 2012 Republican presidential candidate was asked by NBC's David Gregory on "Meet The Press" whether his hopes for a U.S. colony on the moon fly in the face of the GOP's fiscal responsibility mantra. Gingrich...
TPM2012

Today On The Trail: February 5, 2012

Romney won the Nevada caucuses in a landslide. Here are ten things you need to know today. The Sunday shows line-up: Rick Santorum, VA Gov. Bob McDonnell, Rep. J.C. Watts on Fox News Sunday; Gov. Martin O'Malley and McDonnell on CNN's State of the Union; Newt Gingrich and Rudy Giuliani on CBS's Face the Nation; Newt Gingrich, Michael Bloomberg on NBC's Meet the Press; Ron Paul on This Week. Upcoming poll shows Santorum is replacing Gingrich as the 'anti-Romney: Public Policy Polling will release polls of ...
TPM2012

Newt: I'm Not Going Anywhere, Mitt

LAS VEGAS, NV -- Newt Gingrich called an unorthodox post-caucus press conference Saturday night to assure the press that not only was he in the race for the long haul, but that he had only begun to go negative against Mitt Romney. "I am a candidate for president of the United States, I will be a candidate for president of the United States, we will go to Tampa," he said, referring to the site of the 2012 Republican convention. He blamed the Romney team for leaking rumors of a withdrawal to the press...
TPM2012

Romney Wins Big In Nevada

LAS VEGAS, NV -- Mitt Romney clocked up his second victory in a row Saturday night as he easily took the gold in Nevada's caucuses, leaving his rivals choking on his dust. Romney's win is a nice boost for him as he heads into the next round of contests in Colorado and Minnesota, which vote on Tuesday. Missouri will also vote, but its results don't count towards the delegate race and Gingrich is not on the ballot. The former Massachusetts governor was expected to win big here given the large Mormon...
Muckraker

Christine O'Donnell's Bookselling Money Magic

She may, famously, not be a witch, but here's a bit of money magic from former Delaware Republican Senate candidate and recent Mitt Romney endorser Christine O'Donnell: her political campaign gave $142,000 to her super PAC, which proceeded to buy copies of her book. Federal Election Commission reports filed by her campaign and super PAC this week show that the money her campaign gave to her super PAC represents just under 62 percent of the $229,985 the PAC took in during 2011. $19,912.30 of that money...
TPM2012

Can Last Minute Appeals Sway Voters' Minds?

LAS VEGAS, NV -- On a sunny early morning, Nevada voters gathered in a Durango High School gym on Saturday to hear their friends and neighbors make the case for their favored Republican. About a dozen precincts, each with about fifteen to twenty voters, assembled in the bleachers. Many, like Bryan Bagwell, a golf course superintendent, brought their whole families and young children scampered around throughout the proceedings. Bagwell arrived not knowing who he would vote for, torn between his head...
TPM2012

Dems Catch A Break In Wisconsin Recall Signatures Lawsuit

An appeals court in Wisconsin on Friday ordered a judge in conservative Waukesha County to vacate his ruling and rehear the arguments of a lawsuit filed by the state Republicans about the procedures for counting signatures in the recall effort. The big issue: That the judge had refused to allow Democratic recall organizers to get involved in the case and make arguments. This means that Democrats are getting another bite at the apple on this matter -- depending on the outcome of the additionalWisconsin...
TPM2012

Today On The Trail: February 4, 2012

Today is caucus day in Nevada. Here are ten things you need to know today. Nevada votes: Republicans in Nevada will actually cast ballots today in their statewide caucuses. The individual caucuses have different meeting times, but most start at 9 a.m. Pacific Time, and GOP officials told the Las Vegas Sun that meetings could be done within 20 to 30 minutes. But despite the early start time, results don't start coming in until around 5 p.m. Eastern, with tallies from Clark county, home of Las Vegas,Sun:Sun...
TPM2012

Newt Condemns Mudslinging From The Pulpit -- Then Bashes Romney

LAS VEGAS, NV -- As even the pastor enthusiastically introducing him at the International Church of Las Vegas on Friday noted, Newt Gingrich has always had a rocky relationship between his faith and his actions. The ex-Speaker's address to the congregation was no different, featuring a moralizing denunciation of negative campaigning only hours after leveling most brutal attack yet against rival Mitt Romney. Gingrich, who began his address by calling all the children in the audience to stand with him on...
TPM2012

A Handy Guide To The Nevada Caucuses

After a week of spirited campaigning and, despite conflicting reports, exactly one Donald Trump endorsement, the candidates are ready to face the voters in Nevada on Saturday. Here's everything you need to know going into the caucus. Nevada's Pretty New To This Whole 'Caucus' Business Being a caucus rather than a primary there's no early or absentee voting. Nor can one just casually stop by a polling place while casually strolling to the craps table. You can only vote in-person after listening to...
TPM2012

Day In 100 Seconds: The Numbers Game

The consensus across cable news was that today was a good day. A great day. The best of days! Some encouraging job statistics came out this morning which even caused some anchors on Fox to accept that the President can claim his proposals are creating jobs. Watch it now, because you may never see it again... The numbers were also good news of sorts for the GOP candidates lining up for their latest vote this Saturday. This certainly took the focus of TV crews off statements regarding not caring...
TPMDC

Is Komen's Planned Parenthood Reversal For Real?

Though Susan G. Komen for the Cure announced a reversal of its decision to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood, the language of the statement suggests the foundation could still refuse to fund the women's health care provider in the future. After a two-day hailstorm of criticism -- during which Planned Parenthood raised $3 million, according to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America -- Komen announced on Friday that it would abandon a plan to cut off grant funding for breast cancer screenings at ...
Muckraker

GOP Rep Michael Grimm: I'd Be 'Very Stupid' To Take Cash Near FBI Building

House Speaker John Boehner said Friday that he was "not familiar with the details" of the unfolding campaign finance scandal involving Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY). Let's bring him up to speed. The New York Times reported this week that Grimm worked closely with Ofer Biton (a top aide to the orthodox Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto) back in 2009 to recruit the rabbi's followers to donate to Grimm's campaign. Together, they collected more than $500,000 for his campaign, helping convince Republican leaders Grimm ...
TPMDC

Schumer: GOP Has Lost Its Obstructionist Mojo

Does the Senate's passage of the STOCK bill suggest the Republicans have lost their obstructionist mojo? Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) seems to think so. The third-ranked Senate Democrat made the taunt hours before the chamber's overwhelming 96-3 approval of the President Obama-backed STOCK Act Thursday, which aims to crack down on congressional insider trading. He accused GOP lawmakers of inelegantly dragging their feet on STOCK as well as the payroll tax cut in an effort to sink the measures. "Haven't...
IdeaLab

Antarctica's 19-Mile Ice Crack Will Produce New York-Sized Iceberg

The Big Apple is about to get some competition down south. A New York City-sized iceberg will eventually split off of Antarctica as a result of a 19-mile long crack on a glacier on the Western part of the world's southernmost continent, according to NASA. The crack was first observed up-close on the Pine Island Glacier in mid-October 2011 by NASA scientists working on Antarctica, the agency explained. Later in November, NASA's Terra AM satellite -- the same one that reportedly suffered "interference" ...
Muckraker

CHART: Herman Cain Fundraising Spiked After Sexual Harassment Allegations

Turns out the media firestorm over charges that former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain sexually harassed women was pretty good for the Cain campaign's bottom line. A TPM analysis of campaign finance data filed with the Federal Election Commission this week confirms the Cain campaign's assertion that their fundraising got a boost after Politico first reported that the National Restaurant Association reached two sexual harassment settlements with women who accused Cain of inappropriate...
TPM2012

Newt Pulls Out All The Plugs On Anti-Romney Rhetoric

LAS VEGAS, NV -- After using the Occupy Wall Street playbook to attack Mitt Romney last month, Newt Gingrich is cribbing from the Tea Party's anti-Obama files, identifying his rival as yet another co-conspirator in a vast leftist plot to destroy capitalism itself. Not a great sign for those Republican strategists who hope Romney's Florida victory will quickly unite the party. Addressing fired up supporters in a cowboy-themed Vegas bar on Friday, Gingrich offered a new depiction of Romney as a tool of...
IdeaLab

Arizona Power Plant Goes Green With AREVA Solar Thermal Project

A coal-fired electrical plant in Tucson, Ariz., is going green -- or at least "greener" -- partnering with a French, state-owned nuclear company to install a solar add-on that will generate enough clean electricity to power 600 homes using high-pressure, superheated steam warmed by a series of mirrors. The new solar project is expected to begin construction in Spring 2012 and to be up and running at the current H. Wilson Sundt Generating Station in Tucson by 2013, according to a news release from plant...
TPM2012

Obama's Speech At Arlington Firefighter Station

In his State of the Union address, President Obama found a metaphor for how he wanted the country to pull together: they should work like team of the navy seals who killed Osama Bin Laden - all individuals but all together, with each playing his part. Today he was in Arlington, Virginia, pushing a similar message but this time with firefighters instead of troops and his remarks caught the attention of the cable nets. Here are the highlights:

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