• I hope that people will go to the polls and forget all the media people that say this one can’t go on or that one doesn’t have the money, because this is the process, and if we don’t let the process happen — I just think it’s so unfair and I hope that people will vote their conscience.
• Michele Bachmann • Offering a strong defense of letting people make up their own minds in Iowa. Bachmann is banking on such sentiment — she’s far behind her rivals in the polls and even longtime supporters, like Sarah Palin, are suggesting she quit the race. In related good timing, Bachmann dropped this line in reference to Margaret Thatcher, currently the subject of a Meryl Streep biopic: “My goal is to be America’s iron lady.” Would she make a good Iron Lady for the U.S.? Do Americans need one of those? source

• As you might have noticed, we’ve been somewhat light on the Iowa caucus coverage today in part because it’s gotten so overwhelming. (We’re leaving the good stuff for tomorrow, when it ACTUALLY HAPPENS.) But Scott Siepker, this guy … This guy. He offers a progressive defense to the perception that Iowa is full of conservatives that don’t represent the country at large. And wow, it just makes you like you’ve been translated to Iowa for three minutes. You get it, with lines like: “Next time you ‘fly over’? Give us a wave. We’ll wave back. We’re nice. That’s right. We’re nice. @(&!%!^.” It’s profane, but there’s a PG-rated version over here. Must watch. (h/t Buzzfeed)

• Aren’t jokes supposed to be funny? Mitt Romney’s son Matt was on the campaign trail for his dad the other day when he made an Obama birth certificate joke, in reference to Mitt’s own tax return issues. The joke, and we quote: “I heard someone suggest the other day that as soon as President Obama releases his grades and birth certificate …then maybe he’ll do it.” This was so toxic that Matt joined Twitter just to apologize for the joke:

I repeated a dumb joke. My bad. RT @emilyrs Romney’s son Matt made an Obama birth certificate joke on the trail in NH

— Matt Romney(@Matt_Romney) December 30, 2011

• » Worst reason to join Twitter ever? Perhaps. Most people quit Twitter over saying something stupid. source

• For some Paul is seen as a homophobe and a racist. So for her fans, that may be sending them a message that she concurs with his homophobic and racist ideals. This is a problem since she does have a wide variety of die hard fans which include gays and a wide range of ethnicities who are offended by her endorsement.
• Cooper Lawrence, author of the book “Cult of Celebrity” • Discussing why Kelly Clarkson’s endorsement of Ron Paul struck such a raw nerve with many of her fans yesterday. Part of it, perhaps, was the timing of Clarkson’s endorsement — Paul’s long-dormant newsletters, racially-tinged tomes which he’s long claimed he didn’t write but has never fully resolved honestly and openly, resurfaced just a week ago. (The Economist has a smartly-written piece on Paul that’s worth considering for these sentences: “In the end, Mr Paul’s obsession with the Fed is an anti-government conspiracy theory. And in America, anti-government conspiracy theories attract a lot of wingnuts, some of whom have never read Hayek or von Mises.”) For us, though, the real question is whether this whole affair will cause a big enough decline in Clarkson’s career to force a movie sequel: “From Kelly Back To Justin Again”? Justin Guarini’s floppy, Muppet-like hair is waiting for your call, Kelly.  source

• Kent Sorenson personally told me he was offered a large sum of money to go to work for the Paul campaign. Kent campaigned with us earlier this afternoon and went immediately afterward to a Ron Paul event and announced he is changing teams. Kent said to me yesterday that ‘everyone sells out in Iowa, why shouldn’t I?’, then he told me he would stay with our campaign. The Ron Paul campaign has to answer for its actions.
• Michele Bachmann • Trying to explain the late-stage defection of campaign co-chair Kent Sorenson, who yesterday jumped to the Ron Paul camp. In trying to explain this situation, which carries a big political cost to her already sub-tier candidacy, Bachmann is leveling a pretty loaded claim. It’s also one that Sorenson has flatly denied — he says the conversation Bachmann recounts never happened. source

• Kent said to me yesterday that ‘everyone sells out in Iowa, why shouldn’t I.’ Then he told me he would stay with our campaign. The Ron Paul campaign has to answer for its actions.
• Michele Bachmann • Discussing the surprise departure of her Iowa campaign chairman, Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson, who defected to the Ron Paul camp. This is not good news for Bachmann, especially since the move comes less than a week before the Iowa caucus. Ever since Bachmann won the straw poll in Iowa back in August, it’s been diminishing returns, to the point where some are calling for her to drop out. They’re also calling for Rick Santorum to drop out, but that’s probably not going to happen because Santorum is suddenly on an upswing. For Bachmann, however, she might be reaching her endgame. source

• We are just fed up with the two-party system. The Democratic Party, I think, has turned their backs on gay rights, marriage equality, their anti-war base, their anti-drug war sentiment. …Republicans are no longer the stewards of the pocketbook. Republicans are no longer good stewards of tax dollars.
• Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson • Giving a mission statement of sorts as he makes it official — former Republican candidate and governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson has leapt over to the Libertarian Party to mount a third-party candidacy for president. Johnson was a popular governor in New Mexico at the time of his departure, and boasts a platform that was markedly unorthodox for the present GOP field (save the occasional overlap with Ron Paul, who Johnson endorsed in 2008). Should he gain any traction, a Johnson candidacy could have a scale-tipping effect in 2012, as the recent polling surge by Ron Paul illustrates a decent spate of GOP voters are willing to look at a different brand of conservative this cycle. source

• women Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has seized the top spot in Gallup’s “most admired” list for 2011, for the second consecutive year. Other notables: Michelle Obama (2nd), Sarah Palin (4th), Michele Bachmann (10th).
• men President Barack Obama also led for the second consecutive year, taking the top spot in the men’s category. Other notables: George W. Bush (2nd), Newt Gingrich (6th),   Donald Trump (7th), Catholic Pope Benedict XVI (8th). source

• These politicians from both parties betrayed our trust, and violated the oath they took to defend the Constitution. It’s not about the left or right, it’s about our Bill of Rights. Without the Bill of Rights, there is no America. It is the Crown Jewel of our Constitution, and the high-water mark of Western Civilization.
• Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes • Discussing his plan to force a recall of elected Montana officials who supported the National Defense Authorization Act, an act which has proven quite controversial among some parts of the population — leading even to extreme interpretations of the law (think “FEMA death camps,” the dumbest internet rumor since the last time the comedian Sinbad “died” at the hands of Wikipedia). Rhodes, who leads the somewhat hard-line libertarian group, is certainly not afraid of the Alex Jones crowd. But that said, this whole thing is certainly worth keeping an eye on: Rhodes plans to use an interpretation of Montana law that allows for recalls “on the grounds of physical or mental lack of fitness, incompetence, violation of oath of office, official misconduct, or conviction of certain felony offenses.” Just nine states allow for that type of recall. (Thanks to Michael Cote for the tip-off on this one)  source