'Standing Strong In Defense Of Religious Freedom!'

Following is a special message from the Cardinal Newman Society: Earlier this week, a reception was hosted in honor of The Cardinal Newman Society—and the canonization of Saint John Henry Newman—at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See in Rome!

From L to R: Major General Patrick Brady, Ambassador Callista and Newt Gingrich, and Newman Society President Patrick Reilly.

“Tonight we're gathered to honor the Cardinal Newman Society,” said U.S. Ambassador Callista Gingrich. “Named in honor of Saint John Henry Newman, the Cardinal Newman Society supports education that is true to the teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church.” Dignitaries present at the event included ambassadors to the Holy See from England, Honduras, and South Korea; Joan Lewis, EWTN Rome Correspondent; and Kent Hill, co-founder of the Religious Freedom Institute. Ambassador Gingrich recognized Major General Patrick Brady, one of America’s most decorated living veterans, who was present at the event. She thanked him for his service and said that it “speaks well of the Cardinal Newman Society to have someone like General Brady as a member.” In her remarks, Ambassador Gingrich reflected on how St. John Henry Newman was a devoted teacher and “lifelong advocate for education, reason, and the discovery of truth.” Newman’s legacy is “preserved through organizations like the Cardinal Newman Society, which work diligently to promote Saint Newman’s vision for Catholic schools and colleges,” she continued. We are so grateful for Ambassador Gingrich’s kind words and for welcoming our pilgrimage group into her home! You can read her full address here. Newman Society President Patrick Reilly also offered remarks at this special event, saying that the pilgrimage group was “thrilled” to be in Rome celebrating the canonization of St. Newman, who “championed faithful Catholic education and had a wonderful relationship with American Catholics during his lifetime.” “Ambassador Gingrich, as you know, Catholic education is important to America,” Reilly continued. “But Catholic education today faces increasing attacks on the freedom of Catholic educators to teach and witness to the Catholic faith.” “I hope therefore that you will convey to President Trump and his Administration our gratitude for standing strong in defense of religious freedom,” Reilly said. “We applaud President Trump’s recent address to the United Nations, as well as Attorney General William Barr’s address last Friday, defending religious freedom. We also applaud the Administration’s strong stand before the U.S. Supreme Court against forcing the redefinition of human sexuality, even to the point of violating the religious freedom of authentic Catholic education.” You can read more about this wonderful honor for The Cardinal Newman Society here. Thank you for your support of our work!

'DELUSIONAL!' Te Whole Thing Is A Sham . . .

The Most Sobering Scandal In American History!

Right Now, Take These Words To Heart!

The above warning is from former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

'A Corporation Engaged In Organized Crime!'

FLASHBACK: Newt Gingrich calls for RICO charges against the Clinton Foundation:

"By every single standard you would apply to the mafia or cartels, the Clinton family business is in fact a corporation engaged in organized crime." pic.twitter.com/mK6vjODrIL

— #UnsealTheDeals (@NewtTrump) January 5, 2018

Make Of It What You Will, But DON'T MISS IT!

Alright Folks, Here It Is In A Nutshell, OK?

CPAC: Our List Of The Best, Worst And In Between

CPAC is over but the highs and lows of the huge three-day conservative gabfest will be remembered and discussed for months to come.

Here's a list of some of the best, worst and somewhere in between:

Most inspiring speech: Well, we didn't see all of them but we saw most of them and Marco Rubio takes the prize for being charming, hip and passionate all at once. He's a winner!

Biggest disappointment: The food service at Gaylord's National Harbor Hotel and Convention Center. At least in its restaurants, this massive complex seemed totally unprepared for what hit it. better luck next year.

Most ubiquitous: Those red and black "Stand With Rand" stickers, placards and tees that seemed to pop up at every turn.

Four fine, new young friends: Nick Rapak of the Penn State College Republicans; Jay Shipman of TMS Audio Productions in Jefferson City, Missouri; Brent Batur of the University of Toronto and Anthony Martin Lewis of Saratoga, California. We promised we'd give a shout out to all of them. BTW: Governor Christie, if you're reading this Anthony would like to come to NJ and work for you. 

Most daring: Ian Jacobson of the Texas College Republicans who attended the event sporting his ever-present neon colored Mohawk hairdo.

Best answer: Gwen (she never gave us her last name) from New York City who told us she knows and once worked for Rudy Giuliani. When we asked her what's the secret to working for Rudy, she answered in a word: "Loyalty." And she added that for Rudy that means "being willing to take a bullet." Whew!

Most predictable: Donald Trump talked a lot about himself. But he was still both informative and entertaining.

Nicest group: The people behind the Tea Party Patriots who threw a swell party on Saturday night with a great theme (Hunger Games) great music and plenty to eat and drink. They were very welcoming.

Shut up already: Dick Morris. Last year was enough. Stop embarrassing yourself.

Possible overkill: The huge security presence. Still, it was nice to feel safe.

Most Missed: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell.

Nicest surprise: South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley introducing Mitt Romney.

Most innovative event: The Walking Dead Party that featured live, quick click electronic introductions and exchanges of photos and information for quests. Engaging fun!

Funniest moments: All of those clever, spot-on, one-liners that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal delivered with perfect timing. We love you, Bobby!

Bittersweet memory: Governor Mitt Romney's appearance and classy, inspiring remarks.

Biggest stunner: Senator Mitch McConnell. We didn't know he was such an effective speaker. 

Welcome shift: All of the new speakers, programs and panels featuring women, young people and minorities. 

Biggest absence: Live music. 

Three who should have stayed home: Newt and Colista Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Enough, already!

Best expo booth: Generation Opportunity's take on March Madness featuring a live hoops competition.

Daring challenges: New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte who laid down the gauntlet on national security. Yo go, gal!

Without-a-net-moment: Senator Ted Cruz who spoke convincingly and apparently without notes, no teleprompter and no aid of any kind. He's a comer!

Bravest: The two young fellas from Ocean County (NJ) who distributed flyers extolling Governor Chris Christie's stellar record. Hey, Christie had a respectable showing in the straw poll after all.

Best shopping: The Peeps store at National Harbor.

Biggest yawner: Sarah Palin. This act has worn thin.

Exclusive Photos: Scenes From The GOP Convention

The Newtster.

Gettaloada all those white hats. That's Texas, baby!

T. Boone Pickens.

Hugh Hewitt

The convention stage comes alive with color.

 The modern-day Queen of Conservatism -- Ann Coulter!

Ambassador John Bolton.

RNC Chair Reince Priebus.

Congressman Allan West.

Herman Cain.

Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert.

David Eisenhower.

Just a small portion of the media center.

Enclosed, air-conditioned walkway leading into the Tampa Bay Time Forum.

Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight.

The man and the moment meet - Romney addresses the delegates.

The balloon drop.

All photos copyright 2012 by Dan Cirucci.

Romney: Gingrich Brought 'Intellectual Vitality'

Mitt Romney made the following statement on Newt Gingrich’s announcement:

“Newt Gingrich has brought creativity and intellectual vitality to American political life.  During the course of this campaign, Newt demonstrated both eloquence and fearlessness in advancing conservative ideas. Although he long ago created an enduring place for himself in American history, I am confident that he will continue to make important contributions to our party and to the life of the nation. Ann and I are proud to call Newt and Callista friends and we look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead as we fight to restore America’s promise.”

Poll: Romney Up, Up, Up . . . Obama Down, Down

Yeah, I know the polls have been all over the place this primary season.
But the latest Rasmussen Poll is eye-opening.
Just when you might have thought President Obama was on the comeback trail he seems to be slip-sliding away again.
Romney leads President Obama by five points in a hypothetical 2012 matchup. Today's numbers show Romney at 48%, Obama at 43%. That’s Romney’s largest lead since December.
It just proves what we've been saying all along: Romney has remarkable staying power He's an exceptionally resilient candidate. We think he has what it takes to go the distance.
And there's more:

• Right now only 25% of the electorate strongly approve of the job Obama is doing. With 44% disapproving, that gives Obama a negative job performance rating of -19% Not good.
• Nationally, in the race for the GOP nomination Romney now leads Santorum by 12 points.
• Incredibly, Romney's even gaining a foothold in the race for delegates in the south, leading by eight points in Mississippi and tied with Santorum and Gingrich in Alabama.
• A whopping 80% of GOP voters now expect Romney to be their nominee.

The Votes Tell The Story: It's Romney!

Numbers don't lie.
And when it comes to the GOP presidential nomination, the numbers tell the story.
In this case, the numbers are the vote totals.
Consider this: Last night in Arizona and Michigan respectively Mitt Romney tallied more votes than he did four years ago.
And overall Romney has gathered far more votes than any other candidate.
Here's more:

• Romney has now tallied nearly two million votes.
• Romney leads his nearest rival by nearly three-quarter-million votes.
• Romney is the only GOP candidate to have reached and surpassed one million votes.
• Romney has won more popular votes than Santorum and Gingrich combined.
• Romney has gathered almost as many votes as Santorum, Gingrich and Paul combined.
• Romney has won in the north, the south, the midwest and the west -- every part of the country.

These are the irrefutable facts.

Here then are the vote totals:
ROMNEY: 1,749,111
Santorum:  978,042*
Gingrich:  932,222
Paul: 462,912
*Note that for all the hoopla surrounding Santorum, he barely edges out Gingrich.

All over the nation republicans have spoken. they're message is strong, clear and simple: ROMNEY!

Mitt Romney's Long Haul Game Plan

Michelle Bachmann.
Rick Perry.
Herman Cain.
Newt Gingrich.
They came. They peaked. They fell.
Each tried to overtake Romney. And each failed. Yes, Gingrich is still in the race, but only barely.
Now Rick Santorum thinks he can overtake Romney by bashing the media, appealing to zealots on the right and saying things like "government should not run the public schools."
Well, there's a great article in The American Prospect that points out that Mitt Romney is in this race for the long haul. He's already fended off a quartet of challengers and almost-rans (like Sarah Palin, the supercilious sideline instigator) and he's proven that he knows how to keep his eye on the prize: the nomination and, eventually the presidency.
Here's an excerpt from the article:

Santorum’s platform is also troublesome, and his social-issues-heavy, economics-lite stump speeches may hit a wall when he challenges Romney is bigger and more moderate states. Although the Michigan primary on February 28 is being set up as a game changer, it won't be. Even if Santorum wins—and that's looking increasingly likely—the basic dynamics of the race will stay the same. While the rest of the candidates have dialed up the antics as though they were the cast of Jersey Shore, Romney is playing Survivor: Outwit, outplay, outlast. Once everyone else gets voted off the island, Romney thinks he will be the last one standing.

Click here to read the entire article.

What's With Gingrich And All His 'Grand' Ideas?

Is Newt Gingrich the wave of the future or just the flavor of the month?
I'm not quite sure.
But I do know this: Sometimes when I listen to Gingrich I have to scratch my head and wonder: "What the heck is he thinking? Does this guy's ego know no bounds whatsoever?"
This man has compared himself to . . . . 

Click here to read the rest of my column in today's Philadelphia Daily News.

Why Romney Won Big In Florida: Five Reasons

Behind the big Romney win in Florida are five significant factors that turned the tide of the election:

1) Romney's stellar debate performances leading up to the primary. Romney stumbled in early debates. But then he got a new debate coach and came roaring back. Romney showed he's willing to fight -- willing to mess things up a bit -- and GOP voters liked that. They want to see somebody who's gonna take it to Obama in November -- someone who's not afraid of a good fight; someone who can be sharp, feisty, fearless. Romney began to show them that and they liked what they saw.

2) Gingrich's crazy ideas. Gingrich's looney ideas about a colony on the moon and other pie-in-the-sky schemes began to catch up with him. The man likes the sound of his own voice so much that he doesn't pay very much attention to what he's actually saying. He's undisciplined. He's peripatetic. Sloppiness doesn't win elections. Discipline does. See my column in the Philadelphia Daily News tomorrow for more on this.

3) Senior citizens. Seniors vote -- and they went big for Romney. They like his steadiness, his sensibility and his stability. They like the fact that Romney looks and acts like a President -- that he appears to be ready to assume the office; ready to run the country. My hunch is they also like the fact that he has a real, intact family and that he's been married to the same woman his whole married life.

4) The economy. The more people worry about the economy, the more they turn to Romney, the businessman. Romney's business acumen plays well during economic upheaval and economic hard times.

5) Electability. Among those who made their decision based who has the best chance to actually be elected in November, Romney won running away. More and more people see him as a winner -- the one candidate who can lead the party to victory this year.

Now, look for calls from party leaders for Gingrich to get out of the race and for everyone to begin to coalesce around Romney. The GOP doesn't like long, bloody battles -- especially once a clear leader has emerged. There will be a lot of pressure on Gingrich. A lot. He would do well to pay attention to those who have the best interests of the party at heart.

Why Do So Many 'Conservatives' Oppose Gingrich?

One would think that conservatives would be rushing to support Newt Gingrich.
After all, Gingrich presents himself as a sort of conservative champion.
Again and again he wraps himself in the cloak of conservatism.
But lots of conservatives simply aren't buying it.
Peter Wehner has a wonderful column in Commentary that examines why so many genuine conservatives actually oppose Newt Gingrich -- why they district him and his candidacy.
Here's an excerpt:

The reality is that conservative/”establishment” opposition to Gingrich generally falls into three categories. One is that if he won the nomination, he would not only lose to Barack Obama, but he would sink the rest of the GOP fleet in the process. A second area of concern is that Gingrich is temperamentally unfit to be president –he’s too erratic, undisciplined, and rhetorically self-destructive. A third area of concern is the suspicion that the former House speaker is not, in fact, a terribly reliable conservative, that he is not philosophically well-grounded

Click here to read more.

Christie To Newt: Stop Attacking Romney's Character

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie yesterday made the following statement on Newt Gingrich’s comments about Mitt Romney’s character:

“I know Mitt Romney. I know the kind of father he is, grandfather he is, and husband he is. I have seen Mitt Romney with his kids, and even with my own. Mitt Romney is man of impeccable character. Even though I am not the one being attacked, it offends me that Newt Gingrich would attack the character of Mitt Romney. If Americans are looking for a leader with character, there is no better choice than Mitt Romney.”

Click here to learn more or to become involved.

Romney's New Debate Coach Sends Him Soaring

THIS is the Mitt Romney we've been waiting for: More alive, more animated, more engaged, more pugnacious and unwilling to continue to allow himself to be misrepresented or maligned.
Those of you who were here for my live blogging during the debate will recall that I immediately noted that were seeing a more aggressive, sharper, feistier Mitt Romney.
Turns out Romney has a new debate coach and this change has certainly made a huge difference.
BTW: Check out Romney's body language and note that how you say it is as important as what you say.

Noonan: Gingrich As Heir To Reagan? Not Quite!

Peggy Noonan has written a wonderful column in this weekend's Wall Street Journal about the Romney/Gingrich matchup in Florida, all the talk about the legacy of Ronald Reagan and the future of the Republican Party.
Here are some excerpts.

One way Newt is unlike Reagan is that Reagan was a constructive figure, not destructive. If Newt is the donkey who knocked down the barn, Reagan's the guy who'd build it. He wasn't driven by need, and anger wasn't his fuel. He was equable, even-tempered, personally content. Martin Anderson always said Ronald Reagan didn't need high office to feel good, Ronald Reagan dated Lana Turner. He already thought he was quite a fella. . . .
Mr. Gingrich does not disdain Reagan and surely never did. He says he loves him and he probably does, in the way that people come to love what they need to love. They come up with reasons!
But the point is Newt senses the lay of the land. If a new and modern strain of Rockefeller Republicanism looked like it was about to take hold, he'd see the virtues in that. Right now the growth area looks like it's in opposition to elites and establishments. So that's where he is.

Click here to read the entire column.

Newt's Favorite President: NOT Reagan; NOT Any 'R'