Ryan Streeter on The Republican: Are Americans soft? Not in the way Obama says, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we could stand to toughen up a bit

Paul Ryan's rise and influence now means Democrats will try to transform his budget into a lightning rod for the 2012 race

“After being demonized by Democrats and sidelined during the debt crisis, the Wisconsin Republican now seems to be everywhere: He delivered a major speech outlining alternatives to the Democratic health care plan at the Hoover Institution last week, appeared with the GOP Young Guns at a Facebook town hall, gave a YouTube primer on the Republican’s tax reform plans on his website and even used the ‘Laura Ingraham Show’ to wade into the toxic debate over Rick Perry’s comment that Social Security is a ‘Ponzi scheme.’”- Politico  

• What sort of a Republican has Paul Ryan become? A conservative or someone addicted to a sort of watered down socialism – Forbes

Texas Gov. Rick Perry aims to stop rumors that his hunting camp had a racist name associated with it

“Perry has called the name “offensive” and said his father painted over the word shortly after leasing the land. That account differs from the recollections of seven people cited in the story, and it remains unclear when or whether Perry dealt with the name while using the camp.”- Washington Post

• Perry camp says his administration has had a track record of inclusiveness of African-Americans –San Jose Mercury News 
• Herman Cain jumped off message and jumped into Al Sharpton territory by calling the name “offensive”- The Daily Beast

Obama camp plans to rip a page out of the successful 2004 Bush re-election strategy and solidify its base among rich suburbanites

“Republicans have their own strong economic arguments for upscale suburbanites, including Mr. Obama’s proposals to raise taxes on households earning more than $250,000. Those will echo Democrats’ 2004 warnings to working-class voters — that social issues obscured how Mr. Bush had hurt their pocketbooks.”- The New York Times

If Christie runs, the small window between now and the first primaries could make for a bumpy ride

“It's possible that the people who are urging Christie to run really believe he could mount an effective race for the Republican nomination in 91 days.  Or it's possible they haven't really thought through what a run for president would involve.  But if he takes their advice and jumps into the race, Christie will be the one stuck with the task of creating a winning presidential campaign out of nothing in almost no time.  No wonder he's hesitating.”- Byron York notes in the Washington Examiner

• Sources say the decision over whether or not to run is between Christie and his wife - Politico
• Christie stays mum about his White House aspirations at N.J. National Guard event – The Wall Street Journal 

Republicans and Democrats vie for control over the Senate in 2012, but the numbers remain up in the air

“The conventional wisdom is that odds favor Republicans winning control of the Senate next year. But an examination of the 2012 landscape at the end of the third quarter shows the chamber’s majority could go either way.” – Roll Call

The professional tea party groups raked in millions of dollars in 2010 and have set themselves up for a major push into 2012

“The groups – Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, Club for Growth, Leadership Institute and Tea Party Express – raised $79 million last year. That’s a 61-percent increase from their haul in 2009 … And the two biggest groups – Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks – tell POLITICO they’re planning to raise and spend a whopping $156 million combined this year and next, laying the groundwork for what could be a massive tea party organizing push against Democrats and the occasional moderate Republican in 2012.”- Politico

• E.J. Dionne asks if the left can stage a Tea Party of its own at The Washington Post

2012 Roundup:

• Herman Cain wins Tea Party strawpoll in Illinois – The Chicago Tribune
• Perry’s in-state tuition program for illegals is not what Romney makes it out to be – The Weekly Standard
• Bachmann’s campaign running out of gas in Iowa – Politico
• Ron Paul proving to be a force in the 2012 race – The Atlanta Journal Constitution
• The tone between Romney and Perry turns hostile- The Boston Globe
• Why is Herman Cain winning?- The Daily Beast
• Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell says he’s open to the VP slot – CNN

The same forces that crowed against President Bush have become largely silent amid the questions stemming from the Solyndra scandal

“Paul Krugman, Frank Rich, and the New York Times, in other words, were all bent on uncovering the extent of the executives’ crimes and the nature of the White House’s involvement. But that must have been only because the company in question was Enron and the administration under attack was George W. Bush’s. About the spectacular bankruptcy of the (admittedly smaller) solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra, our most fashionable minds are much less curious.” – The Weekly Standard

Ross Douthat: Republicans have been unable to capitalize on America's populist moment

"[Today's populist] arguments often have merit. The trouble is that no populist politician has been able to deliver an agenda to match. Having identified important problems, right-wing populists almost inevitably rally to unworkable solutions." - New York Times

Despite DOMA, federal agencies are gradually beginning to recognize same-sex marriages

“At least a dozen government-wide regulations issued in the past year expand spousal benefits — such as long-term care insurance and child care vouchers — to the same-sex partners of federal employees. The agency-level changes introduced for the first time the term “domestic partnership” into bureaucratic lexicon, carving out a special category for gay couples.”- Roll Call 

Poll delivers mixed message to Obama on healthcare, unemployment – The Hill

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor emerges as the Democrats’ bogeyman

“Mr. Cantor’s emergence as a prime Republican bogeyman has come about in part because Democrats haven’t always been successful in demonizing Mr. Boehner, whose laid-back persona and occasional willingness to reach across the party aisle has won him kind words from President Obama. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, erudite and soft spoken, also doesn’t present the biggest target for partisan vitriol.”- The Washington Times

Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan keeps attracting attention, now drawing critical fire from both conservatives and liberals

"Herman Cain's tax-overhaul plan is helping fuel a boomlet in the polls, but conservatives are divided over its proposed national sales tax while liberals worry that his proposal would penalize lower earners." - Wall Street Journal

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