I have to admit that I didn't watch Tuesday night's Republican debate for several reasons. First and foremost, I saw no valid political reason as I already know what ALL the GOP candidates think about foreign policy and national security and they all think exactly the same (except of course for Ron Paul who like a broken clock happens to be better on this subject and Herman Cain who just doesn't bother to think about these things at all). The other reason is that I have developed a very low tolerance for the pompous and farcical way CNN handles these sort of circuses.

Scanning the news reports, it seems I made the right decision (which was to watch Sunday's TiVo'ed episode of the fabulous Boardwalk Empire). Politico found six, count them, six (!) important takeaways from the non-debate. I suppose the folks over there felt compelled to write something Insightful about this piece of kabuki. Bless their hearts.

I was much more amused by the headline in the Guardian which reads: "Newt Gingrich calls for 'humane' policy on illegal immigration."

I don't care whether it is intentional or not but I love the way the word humane is put in quotes when attached to the name Newt Gingrich.  This is, indeed, a wonderful sign of where we have come to in Republican politics. A (temporary) front-runner saying he is "ready to take the heat" for proposing what he thinks but what is not in reality a humane immigration policy.  Newt's right, of course. He is going to take heat from a constituency-gone-mad that applauds mass executions, boos gay Marines and wishes for the death of those too poor to afford health care. Newt Gingich, Fearless Moderate!

With the exception of the invisible Jon Huntsmann, the existence of a moderate Republican Establishment at odds with the Tea Party has become a myth. That GOP Establishment has been pretty much replaced by the Democratic Party and whatever was left over was captured lock, stock and barrel (no pun intended) by the Tea Party.  Look no further than the supposed leading "moderate" alternative to the right-wing fringe, one Willard Mitt Romney.  It's one thing to be a serial shape-changer, an art he has mastered. But Mitt crossed into new territory today when he decided to become a bona fide sewer dweller.

His latest TV spot in New Hampshire is destined to become one of the most damned and notorious, right up there with the Willie Horton garbage. He outright lies about what President Obama said, egregiously quoting him out of context. Take a look at the report below and tell if Lee Atwater isn't grimacing in his grave. At least when Atwater was on his death bed he repented for the sleaze he manufactured. Romney is wallowing in it.  Wake me up, please, when the next "debate" airs.