AZ Sheriff Accused By Immigrant Ex-Boyfriend
Judge Tells Walker: No More Recall Extensions
Romney’s Auto Bailout Dance Enrages Tea Party
TPM Editors’ Blog Opinions, Context & Ideas from TPM Editors
The Real Issue
In a press conference just now, in which it seemed he was surrounded by the entire staff of the Pinal County Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Paul Babeu forcefully denied the charges made against him that he, or an associate, threatened the deportation of an ex-boyfriend.
"I am gay," Babeu said, but the charges against me are "completely false."
Read More →Babeu Denies Allegations
Paul Babeu in a press conference just now: "I am gay," but charges against me "completely false."
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Babeu News Conference
Sheriff Babeu to hold 2:30 PM news conference. Watch live here.
Babeu Fallout
Romney campaign says Sheriff has stepped down from his position as the Romney campaign's Arizona state co-chair.
Babeu, Days Ago, at CPAC
Only days ago, right-wing rising star Sheriff Paul Babeu appeared at CPAC. Video after the jump ...
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Big Trouble for Anti-Immigration Hero
High-profile hardline 'border' Sheriff Paul Babeu has been the toast of the national anti-immigration movement and he's running for Congress this year on the Republican ticket. (You may remember him as the guy in John McCain's 'danged fence' commercial in 2010.)
But now he's been accused of threatening to deport his undocumented male lover. No word yet on whether he's remaining in the congressional race or as Mitt Romney's state co-chair.
Dance with the Girl(s) That Brung Ya
Romney's on-going auto bailout dance now pissing off Tea Partiers too.
Beyond A Joke
How a little joke can spark a cable news firestorm.
Christie Vetoes Equality Bill
Christie vetoes marriage equality bill.
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Inside the Latest Terror Case
Key details on the would-be suicide bomber arrested in an FBI sting operation outside the US Capitol today.
Time's Up
Judge in Wisconsin tells Scott Walker: no more extra time to review signatures in the recall against you.
BREAKING
Obama administration says it won't defend law barring military benefits to same sex couples.
When You Prick My OS, Do I Not Bleed?
Defecting from Mitt Romney to Rick Santorum, former Sen. Mike DeWine (OH) toasted Santorum as "human."
Fine Line Between Clever and Stupid
300 year old curmudgeon and former Sen. Alan Simpson weighs in on Foster Friess's birth control advice. Watch.
The Mouse that (Tried to) Roared
I'll note that Santorum is trying to get some of that Newt magic by trying to go full rage-storm on the 'MSM' over the Foster Friess story. But what really comes through to me is that Santorum just doesn't have the secret rage organ that makes it so electrifying for that core of Republican base voters. I'm not saying it's nothing or that it couldn't help him in Michigan in a GOP primary. But Rick Santorum, you're no Newt Gingrich.
Just Not as Cool as a Dinosaur
Scientists identify fossil as gigantic 20-foot fungus.
Super Packed?
Is the big money kicking in for Mitt? Santorum is still on top in Michigan. But now Mitt is picking up steam.
The Search for Plan B
Birth control is the political topic du jour with right-wing aspersions on loose women and nostalgia for the golden age of 1950s Mad Men sexual politics. But step back from this particular story and you see what may be the story of the 2012 campaign: The Search for Plan B.
Read More →So What Do We Do Now?
Rush Limbaugh leads the GOP crack-up over what to do if the economy keeps getting better.
Let's Do The Time Warp Again
How the GOP went back to the 1950s in the space of just one day.
Bumped From The Guest List
It’s been a rough few weeks for one scandal-plagued GOP Rep.
TPM Tipsheet: February 18, 2012
It’s the start of Presidents' Day weekend. Here are ten things you need to know today.
Most Recent Latest news stories from TPM reporters
Arizona Sheriff Paul Babeu Angrily Denies Ex-Boyfriend's Accusations
Updated: February 18, 2012, 5:01 PM While saying for the first time publicly that he is gay, rising Republican star Sheriff Paul Babeu used a dramatic news conference on Saturday in Arizona to angrily deny allegations that had been leveled against him by an ex-boyfriend in a newspaper report a day earlier. "I'm here to say that all these allegations that were in one of these newspapers are absolutely, completely false," the sheriff said while while surrounded by a number of his deputies and fellow...Arizona Sheriff Rocked By Accusations Of Alleged Immigrant Ex-Boyfriend
Updated: February 18, 2012, 2:09 PM Rising Republican star and well-known border hawk Sheriff Paul Babeu, who's now running for Congress in Arizona, was hit Friday night with bombshell accusations from a Mexican immigrant who said he dated the sheriff for years and was threatened with deportation if he ever told anyone about their romance. The Phoenix New Times newspaper broke the story on its website in a piece written by veteran journalist Monica Alonzo. The accusations came complete with text...D'oh! Romney's Auto-Bailout Dance Enrages Tea Party Too
Mitt Romney is stuck in the worst possible position this week in Michigan when it comes to the auto bailout. On the one hand, he's being pilloried by both Democrats and the local press for his confusing criticism of the federal intervention that rescued the auto industry. On the other hand, his claim that he would have rescued Detroit too -- maybe even with similar measures! -- is drawing jeers from conservatives as well. That's right, the Tea Party isn't happy with his bailout position either. Attens...Today On The Trail: February 18, 2012
It's the start of Presidents' Day weekend. Here are ten things you need to know today. Watch for DeWine endorsement switch fallout: State Attorney General and former US Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) switched his presidential endorsement from former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) on Friday, but it's the fallout to watch. Predictably, the Romney camp shrugged it off and the Santorum himself touted it. The real question is whether the Republican establishment is straying at...Grimm Not Listed As Guest For Rally That's Meant To Show Support For Him
It's been a rough few weeks for Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY), who's facing some big questions based on New York Times investigations into allegations of shady (and possibly illegal) fundraising efforts and, more recently, questionable former business dealings. The good news for Grimm: there's a party on Saturday that supporters are portraying as an event to demonstrate support for the former FBI agent. The bad news: it doesn't look like Grimm was even listed as a special guest on the original invite, which ...Day In 100 Seconds: Beyond A Joke
A joke about aspirin and contraception sparked a blaze that lasted all day across the cable news networks. Anchor after anchor, and pundit after pundit wanted to weigh in on the remarks by Santorum backer Foster Friess that women who don't want to get pregnant should just hold an aspirin "between their knees." Of course, they couldn't resist making some jokes of their own, whether this was reflecting on how it seemed like a comment out of "Mad Men," or noting that his own name sounds a bit like one...Man Charged In U.S. Capitol Terror Sting Switched Target At Least Five Times
The man arrested in an FBI terror sting just as he was allegedly about to attempt what he thought would be a suicide attack on the U.S. Capitol had several other targets in mind before he eventually settled on his final plan, according to federal authorities. An affidavit from an FBI agent filed in federal court Friday says that Amine El Khalifi planned to explode a bomb at an office building in Alexandria that contained military offices, then wanted to attack a synagogue, then decided to target an Army ...Judge Tells Walker: No More Extensions On The Recall
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) was just dealt a defeat in court, with Dane County Judge Richard Niess denying a request by Walker for more time -- on top of a previous extension -- to review and challenge the more than one-million signatures that Democrats filed last month to recall him. The request was filed with the court on Tuesday, and argued Friday, with a ruling coming very quickly afterward. Had the request been granted, the potential existed for the official certification and triggering of the. ...Obama Administration Wouldn't Defend Blocking Military Benefits From Same-Sex Couples
The Obama Justice Department has concluded that legislation banning same-sex couples from receiving military and veterans benefits violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment and will no longer defend the statute in court, Attorney General Eric Holder wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders on Friday. "The legislative record of these provisions contains no rationale for providing veterans' benefits to opposite-sex couples of veterans but not to legally married same-sex spouses of...Santorum Peels Off Mike DeWine From Romney Camp
In an embarrassment for Mitt Romney, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) switched his support to Rick Santorum on Friday with a brutal speech condemning Romney for failing to run a positive campaign. "Let's be honest," DeWine said. "In the past months, Mitt Romney and his Super PAC have coupled a remarkable ability to tear down his opponents with an astounding inability to provide voters with a rationale to support him." DeWine, who lost his Senate seat in the same 2006 Democratic wave that swept out ...Feds Say Man Arrested In Terror Sting Wanted To Bomb Capitol
Updated 3:19PM Another FBI terrorism sting operation has led to the arrest of a man who allegedly believed he was plotting an attack on the U.S. Capitol. Virginia resident Amine El Khalifi, 29, had been under federal scrutiny for around a year and had overstayed his visitor visa for a number of years, the Associated Press reported. Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd confirmed to TPM that there was an arrest of a suspect in connection with a terrorism investigation and that the arrest "was the...Senate Passes Payroll Tax Bill Over Broad GOP Opposition
Quick on the heels of the House, the Senate has passed legislation to extend a two percent payroll tax cut through the end of the year. The final vote was 60-36 with 30 Rs and 6 Ds bucking their leaders to oppose the package. It now goes off to a jubilant White House for President Obama's signature. The legislation, which also extends emergency unemployment benefits and Medicare reimbursement rates until January 1, 2013.Rick Santorum Puts Foster Friess On Ice (VIDEO)
Just a week ago, billionaire Foster Friess was about as close to Rick Santorum (his choice for president) as a person can get: Friess introduced Santorum at CPAC, standing in front of the GOP base in a signature Santorum sweater vest and extolling the virtues of the man he's spending a fortune to keep in the race. When he was finished, Santorum came out on stage with his family and launched into a stump speech. You may not catch a scene like that again any time soon. After Friess dropped his aspirin...Mourdock Fundraises Off Lugar Residency Flap
Indiana state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who is challenging long-time Sen Richard Lugar from the right in the Republican primary, has a new fundraising e-mail out, capitalizing off the recent flap over Lugar's residency: that he lives mainly in northern Virginia, and has not owned a home in Indiana itself since 1977. Lugar's campaign has cited the Indiana Constitution, and the opinions of current and past state attorneys general, to show that Lugar did not legally lose his residency when he left for...Conservatives Quiet After Saying Civilian System Couldn't Handle Underwear Bomber
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called "underwear bomber," was sentenced to life in prison Thursday following his trial in federal court. Two years ago, Republicans insisted trying Abdulmutallab in federal court was a terrible idea. There was a time when the circumstances surrounding Abdulmutallab's arrest were part of a lengthy national debate about the best way to handle terrorism cases. There were letters, television appearances and press releases calling on the Obama administration to reverse its ...House Passes Payroll Tax Cut Compromise
By a comfortable margin, the House of Representatives on Friday passed legislation to extend a two percent payroll tax cut through the end of the year. The final vote was 293-132, with 91 Republicans and 41 Democrats bucking their party leaders to vote against the package. Five Republicans and four Democrats did not vote. The bill reflects an agreement between GOP and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate. It also extends emergency unemployment insurance though December, though it reduces the...Pat Buchanan Officially Out At MSNBC: Says 'Blacklisted, But Not Beaten'
After he got slammed for the many racist comments in his latest book, "Suicide Of A Superpower," Pat Buchanan is officially out as a contributor at MSNBC, a move that he attributes to the "thought police" who "brand as racists and anti-Semites any writer who dares to venture outside the narrow corral in which they seek to confine debate." In a blog post called "Blacklisted, But Not Beaten," Buchanan announced that "after 10 enjoyable years, I am departing, after an incessant clamor from the left that to...Maine GOP Seeks To Remedy Caucus Confusion
The Maine caucuses are now the second Republican contest this year to have a result initially called for Mitt Romney, only to be brought into question. The state GOP announced Thursday that they are "reconfirming" the results with county chairs -- and that they will open up the results to include Washington County, a rural county that had postponed its voting due to a snowstorm, which will now caucus on Saturday. In an interview with Politico, Maine GOP chairman Charlie Webster said that some of the...Jon Stewart So Badly Wants To Make A Santorum Joke
Jon Stewart recently vowed not to joke about the alternate meaning of Rick Santorum's name. On Thursday, though, he came close. Luckily he had Mitt Romney's Michigan ad to distract himself for a bit. Romney, a Michigan native, is out with an ad claiming that a Michigan win would be "personal" for him -- never mind his auto industry bailout opposition, or the Canadian-made car featured in the ad, or even the picture of Romney and his father at the New York World's Fair. Go Wolverines! But Santorum's...Alta Devices, Maker of Highest Efficiency Solar Panel, Working With Military
Alta Devices, the company that recently set the record for the highest efficiency solar panel ever certified by the U.S. government, is working to supply the U.S. military and defense contractors with its high-tech flexible solar panels, the company revealed exclusively to TPM. Alta Devices President and CEO Christopher Norris told TPM in a telephone interview that the company has just begun working on demonstrating its equipment in a "small pilot line" of solar panels at the company's headquarters in...Editor & Publisher
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