President Barack Obama claimed in his third State of the Union address that he supported a policy of "no bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts." But he said this after he had outlined more than half a dozen new spending handout proposals in a speech that also praised bailouts. On taxes, Obama concluded of retaining outrageously high middle-class tax rates and increasing the tax rates on the rich: "That’s how we’ll reduce our deficit."

Republicans debated the housing bubble/bust in the January 23 NBC debate, with former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney drawing political blood from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on his Freddie Mac consulting ties.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary January 21 with 40 percent of the vote, making Gingrich the third GOP candidate to win a presidential primary or caucus in as many states.

Representative Ron Paul established himself at the forefront of the Tea Party movement in the first Republican Presidential debate in Greenville, South Carolina. The debate has more and more establishment figures wondering if this might be the perfect political storm for the Texas congressman and obstetrician.

President Obama has nominated a new national security team that is has veteran establishment credentials and appear to create an even tighter nexus between intelligence agencies and the military. Obama announced the following appointments April 28:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich unloaded on CNN Anchor John King for asking about allegations made by Gingrich's ex-wife that the former Georgia Congressman had proposed to make their marriage an "open marriage."

Republicans in the South Caorlina Fox/Twitter Presidential debate loudly booed the Golden Rule in the context of foreign policy January 16.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary January 10 with 38 percent of the vote, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul placed a strong second with 23 percent (with 78 percent of the precincts reporting).

Republican presidential candidates came out verbally swinging at each other on so-called "attack ads" in a debate on NBC January 8, just two days before the New Hampshire primary. The discussion of "attack ads" that examine the records of political opponents focused upon campaign advertisements and so-called "SuperPac" independent expenditures.

Texas Congressman Ron Paul slammed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as a "chickenhawk" in the ABC News/WMUR debate January 7, one of two final debates before the New Hampshire primary January 10.

WMUR's Josh McElveen remarked to Gingrich, "Recently, Dr. Paul referred to you as a chickenhawk because you didn’t serve." A chickenhawk is a politician who is gung-ho for war, but avoids military service for himself. In essence, a chickenhawk is someone who is brave only with the lives of someone else's sons.