Ben Howe posts this video of Perry answering questions about veterans and currently-serving soldiers.

Although many of the politicians sent back canned answers, Perry seemed to follow the rules and deliver unscripted answers.

It's a long video but if you want a short clip, dial in to about 6:55, when the question appears "Do American citizens really understand what our troops are going through?"

I like the answer because it's a little dark and textured. It's grown up and honest. It's not all happy talk about the Greatest Nation In History, Hallelujah, Golf Clap. It's just honest, and he's actually thinking.

It's not the "right political answer" because it contains an implicit chiding of civilians like myself. But that's what he thinks, and he says so.

And being a former serviceman, he can go a little more into honest, grown-up territory.

Posted by: Ace at 02:34 PM | Comments (156)
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In related news, presidential terms remain four years long.

“I’m not looking forward to anything being long and protracted. So I hope it ends rather quickly and we do real well in the beginning of the year,” Paul said while campaigning in New Hampshire, according to CNN. “The organization is fantastic. The question is: am I going to hold up if I keep doing all this.”

Swell. Let's nominate the guy who's really hoping to take care of business early, before Matlock.

Meanwhile (also thanks to Allah) Phillip Klein has advice for those promoting Paul for tactical reasons: Don't.

While claiming the US should be neutral in the Israel/Invented People conflict, Paul himself is anything but:

But the reality is that on numerous occasions, Paul has crossed the line from merely saying America should stay out of all conflicts, to actively attacking Israel and taking the Palestinians' side -- even when the non-interventionists should theoretically remain silent.

Nearly three years ago, Israel launched a counterattack on Palestinian terrorists in Gaza who had been firing thousands of rockets at Israeli civilians. In early January 2009, Paul released a web video in which he charged that Israel was launching a "pre-emptive war," that Palestinians were living in a "concentration camp" and that they merely had "a few small missiles."

He then repeated this claim on Press TV -- the state-owned propaganda channel of Iran's Islamist government. "To me, I look at it like a concentration camp, and people are making homemade bombs," he said of the situation in Gaza, adding sarcastically, "like they're they aggressors?"

It's absurd for people to promote Paul for tactical reasons. Although it occurred to me that a Paul win could effectively nullify the entire Iowa caucus -- Caucus Cancelled For Lack of Seriousness -- and that could give my boy Perry a chance to campaign more for South Carolina, it's ludicrous to promote someone whose views are antithetical to your own.

What happens if people really decide Paul is a good protest candidate? Or that they can "change his mind about Israel" once he's in office?

Then what?

Posted by: Ace at 01:54 PM | Comments (250)
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She says she did this because she has "faith in humanity."

Odd that her faith in humanity peaks at as mine hits its nadir.

Posted by: Ace at 01:15 PM | Comments (159)
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And some probably don't have any guns which is why they don't say.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry made news last year after using a .380 Ruger to shoot a coyote that threatened his dog while on a jog. Perry, whose campaign did not return a request for comment, said then he routinely carries a gun with him while running in case he runs into snakes.

MSNBC just reported that "snakes" is a racial slur for "Gypsies."

via @bdomenech

Posted by: Ace at 12:56 PM | Comments (163)
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"Vile," Weasel Zippers says.

Posted by: Ace at 12:33 PM | Comments (97)
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If you click on this, you will get a face full of Christina Hendricks' boobs. In fact, given the uplift on those sweater-pandas, Christina Hendricks is getting a face full of Christina Hendricks' boobs.

I would critically-hit that with double-damage in a called shot to the knocker sandwich.

Posted by: Ace at 11:56 AM | Comments (257)
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"Creepy," a Republican says, and I agree.

"Know someone on Facebook or Twitter who, day after day, populates your feed with the latest right-wing talk-radio chatter?" Smoot wrote in the email. "Today, weÂ’re offering you the opportunity to make a donation to the Obama campaign inspired by your favorite conservative friend or relative."

Obama's campaign website now offers donors a chance to enter the name and email of "a Republican in your life" that will be used to "send them a message letting them know they inspired you to donate."

An Obama flack says the emails are not stored. Except to the extent that every email client saves all the emails you've sent. In which case your addressees are in fact stored.

But a Minion of Obama says it, and the world shifts and oozes to take the shape of the New Reality that Sorcerer King Obama has willed.

Posted by: Ace at 11:24 AM | Comments (153)
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Accident?

From TRScoop, and lots of other people.

Posted by: Ace at 11:12 AM | Comments (82)
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I'm not being sarcastic. I love when he just starts shouting about people's shows being a "complete disaster."

This time it's Lawrence O'Donnell and Rosie O'Donnell.

This isn't as personal and nasty as I prefer. The ratings stuff is okay but Trump doesn't say anything like "I might send over one of my hot wife's hot friends to steal Rosie's girlfriend away from her, because really, can you imagine how that poor woman feels when she sees Rosie naked, ugh, it's disgusting."

That kind of thing.

Maybe he's trying to be "presidential" or something. more...

Posted by: Ace at 10:32 AM | Comments (95)
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Ryan's not happy about Gingrich's eternal tactical-advantage politics. Some problems are big enough to be treated as actual politics requiring solution, rather than mere political potholes to be avoided.

In an interview with Coffee & Markets, Gingrich said that Republicans should not “impose” solutions that are “very, very unpopular.” Ronald Reagan, he noted, “ran to be a popular president, not to maximize suicide.”

In order to “govern over the long run,” leaders need “the American people [to] think you’re doing a good job and think you’re doing what they want,” he continued.

Ryan, in an interview with National Review Online, says that he disagrees with Gingrich, and urges Republicans to confront fiscal problems, irrespective of political risk. Worrying about electoral “suicide,” he says, is a disservice to voters, “who don’t want to be pandered to like children.”

Faint heart never won fair lady.

Except in politics, of course.

What Is Gingrich Talking About? I don't mean that in the WTF way, but literally. It's unclear what Gingrich actually means.

He seems to be talking about Romney's plan, and assuming, strangely, Romney's plan would affect seniors currently on Medicare. But Romney's plan doesn't call for that (details of Romney's plan are thin, but that's not included), and Ryan's plan expressly doesn't include that.

Knockdown: Ben Domenech says only Huntsman has expressly endorsed the Ryan plan, and all other candidates are pursuing the Pander Strategem to one extent or another.

Michele Bachmann, who voted for Ryan's plan, now says her support of it comes with an "asterisk" because she disagrees with significant portions of his Medicare approach. Ron Paul, who voted against Ryan's plan, has not proposed any comprehensive entitlement reform beyond saying Medicare and Medicaid are unconstitutional. Rick Perry has talked vaguely about principles and listed a few starting points but has not proposed a comprehensive entitlement reform plan. Newt Gingrich pairs boldness on Social Security with caution on Medicare. And as for Mitt Romney - who after assaulting Perry over the Ponzi scheme issue took any serious reform of Social Security off the table - many observers still have a great deal of trouble understanding what his Medicare plan even is, a fact Gingrich referenced in the same interview.

I suppose that's fair play, then: If Romney won't say what his position is, I guess it is standard politics to guess at it being the worst possible position. If the candidate wants to avoid that assumption, he can come forward with details.

But there is history here-- "rightwing social engineering."

Posted by: Ace at 10:05 AM | Comments (168)
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