Rick Santorum was the eventual winner of the anti-Romney sentiment. His timing was perfect and nicely assisted by Evangelicals in Iowa.

However, there are still certain realities he must face. The money should start pouring in, but that is easier said than done. If he doesn't reap a huge harvest of funds, he won't be competitive across the nation. The other fact is that he was actually the least liked of the anti-Romneys. The fickle music chairs of Perry, Cain, and Gingrich fervors took up all the limelight. Reporters were asking Santorum last week if he was going to drop out.

Gingrich lamented the barrage of negative advertising and spin when he was the flavor of the month. Santorum has yet to feel the heat, wrath, of the other spinmeisers on the edge of desperation.

If Romney truly has double the next nearest competitor in New Hampshire, I still stand with my prediction that Romeny is going to be the nominee.

A week is a lifetime in politics, so Santorum will need to play his hand masterfully. He has had difficulty campaigning. His loses will shortly turn into his inability to beat Obama.

Santorum was more lucky than good. This is his week in the spotlight. Let the vetting begin.

This was a very interesting Republican Primary. Mitt Romney was the early frontrunner, but there were some interesting challenges from several different flavor-of-the-month competitors. I believe the Republican Primary is now over and Romney will be the nominee.

The online trading market, Intrade, which has proven to be more accurate than polls now has Romney with a 75% chance of being the GOP nominee.

Intrade has Ron Paul at 7%, Newt Gingrich at 5.8% Santorum at 3.8%, and the rest at less than 1%. It also gives a 15% chance Hermain Cain will endorse Newt Gingrich.

I still think Ron Paul might win Iowa, but Romney immediate takes all the momentum by taking a 2-1 vote advantage over his next competitor in the Granite State.

Conservatives have had a tough time trusting Romney because of his "apparent" liberal compromises. Some of the better analysts have astutely pointed out Romney was a Republican governor in once of the most liberal east coast states in the nation. Romney was widely criticized for nominating more Democrats for Judges than Republicans. This sounds like a good political hammer to pound Romney and all his opponents tried. But, when Romney explained every person on his states judicial nominating committee were Democrats, it is easy to see why he did it.
Many loudmouth conservatives protest because Romney fails their rigid litmus test, but he passes my good compromise test. I still might vote for Newt in the primary, but will eagerly support Romney in the general.

The Iowa Caucuses are coming fast. The early states will start the momentum of the Republicans next nominee. After listening to the debates, I sometimes find myself pulling for some candidates and pushing back against others. Howver, after reading rational analysis about the candidates, I realize I can pretty much support ALL the Republican nominees for President.

Like most Conservatives, I have been willing to leave open my decision and let the flavor of the month try to woo me with the latest anti-Romney rhetoric.

I didn't quite fully embrace the Perry movement. He lost me with his poor performance in the debates. I also must admit his Texas twang and swagger remind me too much of W.

Cain was a puzzle. I thought the triple 9s were extremely catchy, but I couldn't resolve that last 9. Adding another tax just couldn't be a good thing, but the man could talk to a crowd.

Ron Paul has always been a perennial favorite of mine. I believe he is the intellectual godfather of the tea party. But his complete unwillingness to modulate his foreign policy stance is his own undoing. Most Republicans believe this is a dangerous world with a bunch of crazies out there; we want a strong military.

It turns out Romney isn't as bad as I originally thought. He did a good job explaining himself in the debates. Living in Chicago, I can understand how he had to modulate his views in that extremely liberal state. This point hit home when he explained ALL the people voting on his judge nominations were Democrats. Of course he had to nominate mostly Democrats. I actually get this. Mitt's not so bad.

The Newtster is my latest favorite. His debate performance is unrivaled. He would twist Obama into fitful tongue-tied knots. I like that he actually passed some actual effective government reform. Newt though, isn't perfect. His personal life is despicable, but Bachmann's partial-birth abortion attacks are unfounded. Newt is my current favorite, but not by much at all. He may stick as he is a known entity, unlike the pizza-man.

I could live with Huntsman fine. Solid, but not terribly compelling.

Bachmann and Santorum I think are also fine, but I see them as dropping down to 3rd tier with Huntsman. They are just hoping to stay in long enough to peak as flavor of the month at the right time.

I must admit McCain did not thrill me. I dutifully displayed his yard sign, but he wasn't my choice. I just wasn't enthusiased by him, regardless of his great war hero narrative.

This time around, I think I can be enthusiasic about Romney, Gingrich, or Paul. And maybe the others.

 

 

An interesting observation and somewhat paradoxical is how Democrats and Republicans solve their differences.

Democrats are usually known for being more emotional and less competent at the technical processes of making things work. They always have problems with their balloon drops.

Republicans are more known for making decisions based on logic. They excel at technology and their efficiency scares the daylights out of many Democrats. Their balloon drops always work.

Yet, when it comes to a difference of opinion. The Democrats handle it far more politically advantageously than Republicans. In this case, the Republicans weakness is also their strength; values.

A voter chooses to be a Republican based on a personal set of values such as fiscal responsibility, immigration, guns, abortion, etc. Usually Democrats default to that party out of necessity. Sure, some true liberals are Democrats, but the trial lawyers, unions, and poor don't have a choice.

Since a majority of Democrats require Democrat rule for survival, they choose to handle their differences in private. This problem resolution is what you would expect from Republicans.

Democrat politicians squabble, rant, and yell in private. After all the debating and a vote is taken, the Democrats clam up and present a unified face to the public. In public, the floor leader asks for a unanimous vote and always gets it from all the participants.

The current objective for the Republican Party is to defeat Obama, but the vitriol and mudslinging amongst presidential candidates will make it more difficult in the general election. The Republicans should take a cue from the Dems on not airing dirty laundry. Or at least try to follow Reagan's commandment.

 

Insiders are quietly whispering that the death of Orlando Jones may not have been a suicide. People close to the man have commented that there was no indication he was depressed and that his discussions focused on the future. Many have commented they would like to see a copy of the "suicide" note. Was it the pressure from the FBI or another source?

TRIBUNE STORY -

Stroger godson wielded power behind the scenes

Apparent suicide of Cook County insider came after Nevada probe heated up

Orlando Jones, the top aide and godson of former Cook County Board President John Stroger, parlayed his connections into a lucrative career as a behind-the-scenes government consultant with ties stretching from Chicago to Springfield and Las Vegas.

But in the last year, his quiet, insider role had brought him under more scrutiny of law enforcement, and on Tuesday he met with his lawyer to discuss how to refute allegations that he was involved

in a contract scheme at a Las Vegas public hospital.

A day later, Jones, 52, was found dead on a beach in southwest Michigan, and authorities said they believe he shot himself near the vacation property where he had hoped to build a home.

A couple walking the beach found him at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, hours after his wife had called police when she found what Jones' lawyer described as a suicide note at his Chicago home.

Jones' death sent a shock through government circles, and both friends and acquaintances struggled with the notion that potential legal troubles would lead a hard-nosed veteran of the city's tough political scene to take his own life.

"I'm not saying there's foul play involved. I'm telling you if he did take his own life, there were demons haunting him that I was totally unaware of," said his lawyer, Robert Stephenson. "Our conversation, part of it, was about the future."

Last week, police in Las Vegas recommended that Jones be charged in an investigation into alleged corruption at the public hospital there, Stephenson confirmed. The local prosecutor is reviewing the police report and no charges have been filed.

Stephenson said he and Jones met for a lengthy lunch on Tuesday in The Village Squire restaurant in northwest suburban West Dundee to talk about the allegations involving the public hospital that had been run by a former Cook County official.

Stephenson said they reviewed documentation that they were confident would refute the allegations.

Stephenson said Jones, who had two sons, seemed to be in fine spirits and that he talked about future business ventures. Jones recently had passed an exam to become a registered licensed investment adviser.

"This act is entirely inconsistent with our conversation at lunch," Stephenson said.

Stephenson said that he was contacted by Jones' family Wednesday and told that Jones did not come home Tuesday night. They also said Jones' wife, Cerrelda, had found a note in his desk drawer. Stephenson said it outlined how Jones wanted his affairs handled after his death.

Jones was a longtime insider in Cook County government, where there is an ongoing federal investigation into hiring practices, and where a minority contractor scheme at the new public hospital has garnered criminal convictions.

Stephenson said Jones had not been approached by federal authorities regarding investigations in Cook County.

FBI agents in Chicago tried to interview Jones on Monday but he "politely" declined, according to spokesman Frank Bochte, who would not say what the visit was about. Jones' attorney said the FBI visit was last week, and that the agents were merely seeking to have Jones contact Las Vegas authorities.

Jones left the county in 2001, having served in several capacities, including six years as John Stroger's chief of staff. After he left, he went to work for Antoin "Tony" Rezko, who later came under federal indictment for an alleged corruption scheme at the State of Illinois and separately for his business dealings.

Stephenson said Jones has never been questioned by federal authorities in the Rezko investigation. In an interview in 2005, Jones said he was still friends with Rezko but that they had severed their business ties.

Political fixture in county

Shortly after his election as County Board president in 1994, John Stroger tapped Jones to be his chief of staff.

Years earlier Stroger had taken Jones under his wing, adopting him as his godson. Friends and associates say Jones was like another son to Stroger, whose elder son, Hans, died of an asthma attack in 1982.

Jones was also a top lieutenant in John Stroger's formidable 8th Ward Democratic political organization. When his mentor suffered a debilitating stroke in the heat of his contested primary last year, Jones was key to preserving Stroger's win.