We’re not ones to be easily amused,
But we admit we got really enthused,
When we learned that the Muppets
Are more than just puppets
When Miss Piggy said Fox News isn’t news.

What a pathetic situation to be running for the President of the United States with nothing positive to say. All you got to do is try to tear your opponent down to where they get smaller than you are, that’s the Romney model.

— Newt Gingrich, quoted by NBC News, criticizing GOP rival Mitt Romney.

92%

Share of the political ads run in Florida over the last week that have been negative.

The traditional rationalization about intraparty smears is that it’s too early to dismiss the GOP’s chances; that it’s healthy for the party to battle with mud-flinging; that all this will be forgiven in the heat of August when the party embraces the man who would be king. However, the recklessness of Gingrich’s assault on Romney as Long John Silver, and the ruthlessness of the party’s Romney chorus screeching at Gingrich as the Undead, all this does reinforce doubts already in place with the independent voters, as well as creating a YouTube bonanza of clips for the Obama re-elect ops in Chicago.

— John Batchelor, writing in the Daily Beast.

54% to 24%

Of Americans hold an unfavorable opinion of Newt Gingrich’s work as a consultant for companies with an interest in federal policymaking after he left elective office, according to an ABC News–Washington Post poll. The division on Romney is much closer: 40% see his work experience negatively vs. 35% positively.

You mean those who said I was dead in June? Those who said I was dead in December? They are about as accurate as they were the last two times they were wrong.

— Newt Gingrich, quoted by ABC News, refuting predictions the presidential race would be effectively over if he lost in Florida. He said the race would go on for “six or eight months” and then added: “unless Romney drops out earlier.”

I received this press release today:
Miami, FL, Jan. 31, 2012 – Miami-Dade County has issued a memo to Occupy Miami demanding that the West Lawn of Government Center be vacated and cleared of all personal property by sunset Tuesday, January 31, 2012.
Anyone remaining beyond this deadline will be “subject to arrest for trespassing.” This comes [...]

Check out Reince Priebus’ inane and insensitive smirkingly delivered pronouncement at 1:56.

At a time when Newt needed some nourishment
In his oddball campaign to be president,
Along came, indeed,
A true friend in need —
Herman Cain came through with an endorsement.

If his predecessor cursed Obama by handing him a depression and two wars, the Good Lord has blessed him with the weakest field of opponents in memory. I stand by my early assessment: when I look at the economy, I think Obama can’t win, but when I look at the Republicans, I think he can’t lose. The economy is starting to get better; the Republicans aren’t. The president has moved to the populist center, smoothly co-opting the legitimate grievances of the Occupy Wall Street movement and ensuring that he wouldn’t face a primary challenge from the left. ‘Barack’ means blessing in Swahili. Perhaps ‘Obama’ means luckier than a dog with two tongues.

— Paul Begala, writing in the Daily Beast.