Right Can't Stand 'Cranky' TARP Overseer

CPAC gives Santorum a standing ovation

(NEWSER) - Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney have given their speeches to the Conservative Political Action Conference (Newt Gingrich goes on later), and the themes were no surprise:

• Romney: "I fought against long odds in a deep blue state, but I was a severely conservative Republican governor," he said. Romney again emphasized that he "never worked a day in Washington," in contrast to Santorum and Gingrich. More at USA Today .

Sheldon Adelson gave $10M to pro-Newt Super Pac

(NEWSER) - Who is the multi-billionaire casino mogul backing Newt Gingrich's campaign ? Meet 78-year-old Sheldon Adelson, a very private man who supports Israel and Republican causes, the Guardian reports. Now he has boosted Gingrich in the primaries by giving $10 million to a pro-Newt super PAC. "Our motivation for helping Newt is simple ... we hold our friendship with him very dear," Adelson and his wife said. Little wonder, considering how personal relationships have guided his politics. More»

He presses on Romneycare and scores

(NEWSER) - Rick Santorum is winning nearly universal praise from conservatives on his debate performance last night, particularly for the way he went after Mitt Romney on the similarities between his health care overhaul and President Obama's. "We can't give this issue away in the election," said Santorum more than once. The GOP should take heed, writes Jeffrey H. Anderson in the Weekly Standard . It's clear Obama doesn't want to raise the volatile issue, so "if Republicans are going to have a mandate to repeal this unprecedented threat to liberty and fiscal solvency, they will have to bring it up—or, rather, their nominee will have to bring it up. And he will have to know why he opposes it—not merely that he does." More»

'Sense of order' appeals to those with lower intelligence, researchers say

(NEWSER) - Children with low IQs are more likely to embrace conservative ideologies and to be prejudiced against gays and people of other races as they get older, according to research certain to spark a few heated conversations. The researchers say people with lower intelligence tend to be attracted to the structure and authoritarianism of right-wing ideologies, LiveScience reports. Social conservatives were defined as people who agreed with statements like "Give law breakers stiffer sentences" and "Schools should teach children to obey authority." More»

Government trying to unwind stock without losing on the deal

(NEWSER) - The Treasury Department has had a tough time selling off some of the stock it took on in exchange for TARP bailout funds, meaning taxpayers are still on the hook for some $132.9 billion—some of which they may never get back, according to a report released today by the government watchdog overseeing the program. Selling the stock has been complicated by swingy stock market prices, and deep dips in some of the bailed out companies, the AP reports. More»