SC Man: Don't Blame Me, Blame Fire Dept.

No income from wages; he'll pay 15.4% on last year's income

(NEWSER) - Just hours after debating tax rates during the GOP debate in Florida, Mitt Romney released his tax returns, revealing that he collected $20.9 million in income last year, and $21.7 million the previous year—nearly all of it in profits, dividends, or interest from investments. None came from wages, reports the Washington Post . He estimates he'll pay $3.2 million in federal taxes for a tax rate of 15.4% for last year's income. The previous year, he paid $3 million in taxes at a 13.9% rate. His tax rates are below most American wage earners because his income isn't from wages, notes Reuters . The Romneys gave away $7 million in charitable contributions the last two years, including $4.1 million to the Mormon church. More»

Gay-rights activists, Occupiers storm primary night rally

(NEWSER) - Adding insult to his third-place injury , protesters crashed Rick Santorum's South Carolina primary party last night, chanting "Rick, Rick, Rick, bigot, bigot, bigot" and glitter-bombing the candidate. As Santorum closed out a speech in which he hailed family values, gay-rights activists and members of Occupy Charleston shouted "Except when you're gay!" and stormed his rally at the Citadel, reports the Summerville Patch . No one was arrested, but police forcibly removed the 20 or so protesters. A protester called the move "the people of South Carolina taking a stand against" bigotry. More»

'Very' and 'Somewhat' conservatives went Gingrich, 'liberals' went Romney

(NEWSER) - So how did Newt Gingrich pull off his stunning upset in South Carolina yesterday? Unsurprisingly, by appealing to conservatives, writes Politico . Exit polls indicate that 45% of people calling themselves "very conservative" went to Gingrich, vs. 20% to Rick Santorum and 10% to Ron Paul—Mitt Romney took just 20% of them. Gingrich also won among "somewhat conservative" voters and independents. Romney won "moderate or liberal" voters. More»

GOP voters angry, stuck with bad candidates, say pundits

(NEWSER) - Newt Gingrich's big win in South Carolina has the Republican establishment squirming and political experts churning, trying to explain what the results mean:

• GOP base in revolt. "People are mad as hell they are about to be stuck with another boring, moderate, uninspiring choice that has at best a 50/50 shot at losing to the worst president since Carter," says Erick Ericson at RedState . "Basically, today’s vote is about Republican grassroots giving the Washington Republican establishment the finger."
• Not about policy, but soul. Gingrich and Mitt Romney don't have many big policy differences; instead this is a debate about the emotion and soul of the Republican Party, reports the AP : 'It might not be pretty."

To reject questions about them as 'trash' is hypocritical: Ariel Levy

(NEWSER) - Newt Gingrich may have been "frankly astounded" at John King's "trash" question last night about his ex-wife—but that's "pretty rich" coming from him, notes Ariel Levy in the New Yorker . Indeed, "I am frankly astounded that Gingrich hasn’t been asked more about his various affairs and divorces," Levy notes. Such questions are totally legitimate considering, first, "how merciless and, obviously, hypocritical he was when, as Speaker of the House, he was calling for Clinton’s head on a plate during Monicagate." More»