Funnyman Dennis Miller in his weekly spot with Bill O’Reilly weighing in on everything from the Florida Republican Primary to Occupy Oakland and Sunday’s Super Bowl.  Too bad this thing aired Wednesday night – before the Trumpster endorsed Mitt Romney.  Guess we’ll have to wait for next week’s segment.

A couple of great lines before we get to the video…

“I say one man’s saving the world is another man’s vagrancy charge.”

“There are people in the world that want to do something about everything but don’t want to do nothing [sic] about anything.”

“What are they doing?  What’s the task?  It’s just so nebulous.  They might as well come out and say we want free rent.  Because they’re squatters that don’t do squat.”

Donald Trump endorses Mitt Romney in Las Vegas.  Sounds like a match made in Heaven, right?  Romney “likes to fire people” and Trump’s famous for…. well, firing people.  The Trumpster – who has been highly critical of the Former Massachusetts Governor –  now says his critical comments came “before he got to know him.”  Fair enough.  What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!  But an endorsement now could mean credibility later when Trump decides to attack the candidate later with a third-party flanking.  I’ve never seen Trump’s flirtations with a White House run as anything more than a glorified publicity stunt; but it could happen.

That said, and for what it’s worth – and I say that’s very very little – Mr. Trump says he’s put the idea of an independent candidacy behind him; as long as Mitt Romney’s the nominee.

Wait.  Does that mean “A vote for Romney is a vote” against Donald Trump?  I think that may be the best argument for a Mitt Romney primary vote I’ve heard to date.  Vote for Romney so Donald Trump goes back to telling celebrities what to do on his garbage television show?  I think I might buy that if it didn’t sound so unbelievably too good to be true.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’d love to take The Donald at his word.  I just can’t.  It’s kind of fitting that on this Groundhogs Day where that dirty little tree hugger saw his shadow; I can’t help but think that we’re all going to be spending the next six weeks of Winter reliving this day – as Trump proudly proclaims his endorsement led to seemingly predestined Romney victories between now and Super Tuesday.  What I’m saying folks is this.  If you think this is going to make Donald Trump – go away- you’re friggin fired!  Dude just found a way to claim at least a piece of the Republican nomination.

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Funny side note:  In a phone interview with Neil Cavuto on Fox News, The Donald just said, “Some people think it’s an important endorsement; some people think it’s the most important endorsement.”

This guy!!

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Did I mention Trump’s selling a new book – Time to Get Tough

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich finished a distant second to Mitt Romney in Florida’s Republican Primary, but emerged Tuesday night looking and talking like he won, something; or at least was going to win, something.  Speaking before a crowd of supporters – proudly holding “46 states to go” signs – the Former Speaker said he wanted to “reassure the media elite” that “We are going to contest every place; and we are going to win; and we are going to be in Tampa as the nominee in August.”

He was then kind enough to answer the question that most were probably asking – “How can that be true?”

People Power, of course.

Calling upon the words of Lincoln – like only Newt can do – Gingrich said he will survive, win, and ultimately emerge as the Party nominee because “People Power” will defeat “Money Power” in the next six months.  Hmmm…

He went on to say ”It is now clear that this will be a two-person race between the conservative leader Newt Gingrich and the Massachusetts Moderate.”  Anyone else wondering if he cared to ask Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, or the “People” that cast 21% of the vote for someone not named Newt Gingrich or Massachusetts Moderate?

Side note. Anyone else notice Newt went back to Massachusetts Moderate after testing Massachusetts Liberal over the weekend?

Speaking to his supporters after a sizable victory Tuesday night, Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney thanked the people of Florida, commended his opponents on a good contest and hard-fought battle, and took aim at President Obama delivering what was probably his best speech to date.  I’ve posted the video below, but first a few highlights.

“A competitive primary does not divide us.  It prepares us.”

“Three years ago this week a newly elected President Obama faced the American People; and he said ‘Look, if I can’t turn this economy around in three years, I’ll be looking at a one-term proposition’ and we’re here to collect.”

“Leadership is about taking responsibility, not about making excuses.  In another era of American Crisis, Thomas Paine is reported to have said, ‘Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way.’  Well Mr. President, you were elected to lead; you chose to follow; and now it’s time for you to get out of the way.”

Some pretty good stuff there from Governor Romney.  I actually heard the victory speech on the radio while in the car and was extremely impressed – so much so that the moment I got home, I pulled up the video so I could make sure Mitt Romney was actually the guy that delivered it.

HBO has released its first full-length trailer of Game Change – the movie based on the book that told the tale of Barack Obama’s historic rise.  You know, the one that – if we’re judging books or this movie based on this trailer – appears more about shaming and humiliating Sarah Palin than retelling the Hope and Change narrative in a 2012 world that now knows too well that Hope was a fantasy and Change will only be appreciated when there’s a new resident in the White House.

I don’t think I need to prove my not-a-fan-of Sarah Palin bona fides to anyone, as I’m anything but.  That said, if this trailer is truly reflective of the rest of this movie, I do believe I may find myself in the unfortunate position of having to become something similar in her defense.  Palin fetal on the floor in a bath robe?  Palin “breaking down” in a stairwell?  A Russia from Alaska scene?  Two dozen wardrobe changes and a scene with her actually choosing her wardrobe?  An “I’m not sure how much she knows about foreign policy” voice-over?  An near-crying “I miss my baby, I miss my baby, I miss my baby” and an angry “I wasn’t prepped” scene?  And the thing’s only a minute 47 seconds?  Really?  Looks like a hit-pic, sounds like a hit-pic, it’s probably a hit-pic.

In fairness to HBO, Julianne Moore is a dead ringer for the former Governor.  I’m sure she’ll butcher the accent in other scenes throughout the film, but the resemblance in this trailer is certainly impressive.

Ed Harris as John McCain is another story.  I mean, I know why they chose him – because Harris plays an excellent former soldier – but he looks twenty years McCain’s junior and his voice and mannerisms are way too steely to ever come off McCain-ish.

And the biggest beef of all?  Where’s the President?  The dude that won the election can’t even get a cut-away?  Are they saving his first appearance for the premier like an uber-creepy monster in a horror film?

Probably not.  I think the more likely scenario is that HBO is selling this movie primarily to those who despise Sarah Palin and those that worship her.  It’s not about Barack Obama.  It’s a movie that tells the story Palin-haters want told about the former Governor; and the upside for HBO is that Palin supporters will probably among the first to watch it.   Palins’ a deeply polarizing figure, so folks on both sides will want to see how she’s depicted – for decidedly different reasons, of course.  My guess is that the folks behind this put far less care and thought into the actor who’d play Barack Obama than they did in choosing Moore.  Thus, Moore gets tops billing, and some other guy gets to wait for the second or third full-length trailer to hit YouTube.

I’m not going to lie.  I’ll probably be one of those poor souls watching Game Change the night it premiers on HBO.  I’ll leave to you what that means about where I stand on Sarah Palin.  Funny thing, though.  I watched this trailer three or four times; and by the end of that painful exercise, I found myself getting angry and wanting to defend her.  Maybe that means HBO nailed it.  Maybe that means they missed their mark.

On NBC’s Meet the Press with David Gregory Sunday, Arizona Senator John McCain “guaranteed” that the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United will ultimately lead to a scandal involving “foreign money… or the way the money was raised.”  McCain’s guarantee – which will no doubt be proven true by time and the mere fact that dirty politics extend to every branch of the tree of politics – followed a rant where he condemned Super PAC’s and The Supreme Court of the United States for its ruling in Citizens United.

Asked by Gregory what he thinks of the “negative ads” that have been generated by Super PAC’s, McCain said he “condemns them on all sides”; and then went on to say,

“And I condemn the United States Supreme Court for their naivete in their decision of Citizens United - which is an outrage.”

Condemn is kind of a strong word, no?  Dude’s a bleeping hypocrite.  If he was running in this race, he too would have a Super PAC – or two – doing his dirty work from a distance.  Disagree with the ruling, draft legislation to overturn it; but “condemning” the Supreme Court for a “Free Speech” ruling in the field of campaign finance???  Really?  Has anyone ever heard McCain this “outraged” about Roe v. Wade?  Ever heard him “condemn” anyone for that decision?  I must have missed it.

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Donald Trump on Face the Nation – what’s the worst that can happen?  The Trumpster once again weighing in on presidential politics and flirting with a run at the White House.  Double awesome, right?  I’ll wait for the laughing to subside…  But yes, Donald Trump is back at it yet again.  He says he’s still not ruled out a presidential run and says he’d probably still be in the race if not for his television show The Apprentice - because you know he was “doing pretty well in the polls.”

He’s still on message saying things like this that grabbed the attention of desperate republicans on more than one occasion last year “This is a very critical time for the country; and the country is going to hell in a handbasket.”  And he thinks the GOP primary race is getting downright “nasty”; going so far as to say “the level of hatred is unbelievable.”

Unbelievable!!

What I find hard to believe is how or why anyone could think this guy is presidential material.  Now I know the bar has been set relatively low, but seriously?  President Trump?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again just in case you missed it.  There are few things in this world I would like to see more than Donald Trump running for president as an independent.  I’d love it.  Pure entertainment on every level.  And once he pulled down less than half a million votes (mostly from stoners, morons, and idiots) nationally, we’d never again have to hear about Donald Trump considering a run at the White House.

For those of you that expected to see Former Senator Rick Santorum on Meet the Press Sunday morning, and those who have heard rumblings that the Santorum camp was pulling out of Florida, there is a bit of troubling news.  Senator Santorum and his wife Karen were forced to admit their 3-year old daughter Bella to a Pennsylvania hospital reportedly due to complications from Trisomy 18 – a genetic condition the little girl was born with.

“Rick and his wife Karen are admitting their daughter Bella to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia this evening,” Santorum spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

Admittedly, I knew absolutely nothing of Trisomy 18 – also referred to as “Edwards Syndrome” – before Senator Santorum entered the race and mentioned that his daughter had special needs.  I still know only that which I’ve found through simple Google searches that were inspired by watching a video (posted below) the Santorum campaign released last year “Meet Our Daughter Bella.”  That said, I’m certain we will hear much more about the genetic disorder in coming days as news of this unfortunate development is circulated.

I’ve posted below a bit of background information I picked up at Trisomy18.org.  You can also learn a bit more about the disease here at the A.D.A.M Medical Encyclopedia.  Our thoughts and prayers humbly go out to the Santorum family and little Bella and we  certainly hope for a speedy recovery from whatever it is that is currently ailing her.  Various reports say Santorum will return to the presidential race in short order; although I am certain it is not high on the list of his current priorities.

Newt Gingrich says he’s in it to win it – all the way to the convention.  Despite poll numbers that show Governor Mitt Romney pulling out to substantial margins in Florida, the Former Speaker appears supremely confident that the conservative base is inevitably going to coalesce around his candidacy and lead him to the nomination over the candidate he is now referring to as the “Massachusetts Liberal.”

Just in case you’re keeping score at home, that’s a step beyond calling him the “Massachusetts Moderate.”  I’ll leave to your better judgment whether there is really any difference between the two.

“This race is going to go on.  Conservatives clearly are rejecting Romney… Once you get beyond Florida, these are all proportional representation states, and he’s not get anywhere near a majority by April.  This is going to go on all the way to the convention.  Conservatives are going to come together and decide they do not want a Massachusetts Liberal in the White House.”

Speaker Gingrich also points out that “grassroots conservatives” are already moving in the direction of his campaign.  Herman Cain announced his support for Gingrich’s candidacy Saturday night, Governor Rick Perry endorsed Newt on his way back to Texas, Todd Palin cast the vote of the Palin family with his wife sure to follow, and Former Senator Fred Thompson got on the Gingrich bus last week.

Could he have a point?  Perhaps, but I do believe the biggest obstacle standing between Gingrich and a great conservative out-pouring is the fact that while grassroots conservatives may be less than enamored with Governor Romney, they’re anything but thrilled about the Gingrich they’ve seen for much of the last decade.

In full disclosure, I find myself in this politically-torn group.  We’re the folks that see Romney as McCain 2.0; see Ron Paul as a necessary distraction, Santorum as the man the MSM and Left would love to use to turn this campaign into a misguided contest about “pro-gay versus anti-gay”, and Gingrich as the man we’d support if we could only remember the high points.

I know it’s anything but a revelation for me to say I think Speaker Gingrich is being a little arrogant in assuming that “we” will all come flocking his direction.  An abundance of confidence has never been his problem.  Where I think Newt may fall drastically short is in the department of dolla dolla bills.  Florida is quickly making the case that money can make the votes come round.  If Newt plans to take this thing all the way to the convention, he’s going to have to find a way to start raising money like the “Massachusetts Liberal” he aims to defeat.

“When we get to a positive idea campaign, I consistently win.  It’s only when he can mass money to focus on carpet-bombing with negative ads that he gains any traction at all.”

Fair enough, but he needs some cash and he needs it now or his “positive ideas campaign” is going nowhere fast.  If I were Newt, I’d take the long way home from Florida; and maybe make a stop up there in Alaska.  And is much as it pains me to say this, he needs to beg Sarah Palin to get on board officially behind his campaign.  He needs money, and she could bring it over night.  The only downside is that Gingrich – who has almost completely refused to use surrogates – would instantly have one that even he could not control.  Is he willing to pay that hefty price?

Speaker of the House John Boehner sat down with George Stephanopoulos fill-in Jake Tapper Sunday on This Week and was asked to weigh in on a variety of topics ranging from the resignation of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords to the GOP field and the Keystone Pipeline.  It would be more than dishonest to say that anything game-changing or even newsworthy came out of the interview, but he is the Speaker of the House, so here you go.   Knock yourself out…