More leaks out about what Newt did for Freddie Mac. This isn't anything new for Newt. He's been making money on his stature in Washington since he left office, and he's not the only one. That's not dishonorable in and of itself, but lying about it is. And claiming that he's more conservative than Romney is fraudulent.

Gingich is dropping again as quickly as he rose. That's twice that Newt has surged and then ebbed. Newt is exactly the kind of guy the tea parties are aimed at. To hear people describing themselves as wanting to overthrow the Washington establishment and then promoting Newt Gingrich is just eery. Where were they during the '90s. He's got a problem that gives him great ambition and grandiose thinking. In his case it was useful, until he achieved his ambition and began to think he was beyond the ethics that everyone else is bound by. That's why I wasn't shocked by Marianne's story about "you have to share me." It sounded just like something I would have expected from him. It's also why, after having been in the lead and then losing it, he lost his resolve to keep his campaign free from negative campaigning. That in itself would not have been out of normal. What was not normal was the depth of his anger at being brooked and his reaction, going to populist attacks on capitalism. That's not a conservative or even a Republican argument. This is why partisanship has to be kept under control. We want to win because we're right, not just to win, which is what seems to be driving Newt.

I'm not surprised that So. Carolina went against Mitt but I didn't think they were this insane. I expected Santorum to do much better. After thinking over the Thursday night debate and hearing the highlight slam on the MSM, particularly John King's question, had hoped the voters had be able to see the difference between applauding that answer and the kind a general election winner would make. The Democrat commentators were overjoyed to see Newt do so well in South Carolina, and how gullible these people are to think that he h will ever get to beat Obama in a debate. As I've said, he's pursuing a scorched earth against Romney, but he's never going to rise above these statistics. As Brit Hume noted at the end of the Fox News coverage, GOP candidates running for Congress will look at those unfavorables and won't want him on the ticket with him. Of course, the tea party might be unable to see that. Sarah Palin's endorsement of Gingrich for any reason destroyed any respect I've had for her or her political acumen. They might just be as crazy as to believe that Sharon Angle could beat Harry Reid. You can't win by excluding part of your party. The more I see of these "RINO" radicals, the more I feel like this country's future and my wife's, sons' and grandson's will be sealed. [The foregoing was written on Saturday night. Today is Wednesday. Mitt seems to be gaining on Newt in Florida and may win on Monday. I think people who thought Mitt couldn't fight are finding out different. Also, both times Newt has surged in these primaries, the conservatives who have watched him and worked with him over the past 20-25 years have spoken up in the press and knocked him back. A lot of conservatives, especially in the tea party movement, want someone with the Sarah Palin spunk, a Sarah Barracuda. They turn up their noses at someone as polite and detail oriented as Mitt Romney. They assume he'll be too meek, but they have to remember that he got rich by analyzing, identifying weakness, persuading others about his ideas, then making changes in the management of an organization sometimes over the objections of the old management, negotiating with suppliers and unions, which is one of the reasons he is such a threat to Big Labor.]

The Democrats tip their hand.

The Democrats are targeting Mitt Romney as if he were already the Republican nominee running against President Barack Obama, with campaign ads, Internet videos, daily news conferences and dozens of news releases attacking the former Massachusetts governor. Traditional Democratic partners are jumping in, too. Both the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees' and Service Employees International Union's political-action committees are running their own TV commercials in Florida this week — attacking Romney.

It's not often we start running negative ads before the other party has even selected a nominee, probably because it is such a tell to them who you're most afraid of running against. Thanks, guys!

From the Comments to a link to Ann Coulter's reaction to the South Carolina primary vote:

Katy, if romney [sic] wins will you vote for him against Obama? Zetterson on January 22, 2012 at 7:40 PM

I won’t – I’ll vote for Obama because – in a race between two idiots – I’m simply hiring a pilot who’s going to pilot this plane to the scene of the crash. And, when it crashes – I’d rather the ANNOUNCED Socialist be in the cockpit – so that the backlash is against Socialism. I do NOT want the CLOSET SOCIALIST – who calls himself a “Conservative” in the cockpit – because then Conservatism will get the blame. Yep – if I’m electing a guy to crash – I’ll go with Obama. HondaV65 on January 22, 2012 at 7:43 PM

That would be fine if it were just you, HondaV65. Those of us who have children or grandchildren, like Mitt Romney, see a man who can return this country to a future where those children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. American is the greatest country that has ever existed, and you're right, it is about to piloted to a Socialist disasters like the the Soviet Union and the one most of Europe is headed toward, but the statement that you don't want conservatism to get the blame is a blind, nihilist view as bad or worse than Obama'a so-called progressive paradise. You might as well give up, if that's your attitude, because you're working for Obama whether you support him or Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum or Ron Paul. None of them even has a chance against Obama and you're ignorant, stubborn and pouting attitude. Read this piece by Aaron Gardner, Don't be the Stupid Pary!