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For those who missed the vice presidential debate Thursday night, here are “excerpts” from the debate transcript: MODERATOR MARTHA RADDATZ: “Rep. Ryan, do you think the Obama administration has been honest about the terrorist attack in Benghazi?” REP. PAUL RYAN: “No I don’t, Martha, and here’s why. I think VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: (interrupting) “I’ll tell you why! Because everything he just said is a bunch of malarkey, that’s why! RADDATZ: “Actually, Mr. Vice President, he hasn’t said anything yet . . . BIDEN: Well when he does, that’s what it’s gonna be — malarkey! Malarkey, and baloney — and balderdash, too! RYAN:...

Republican strategists should generally be wary of campaign advice from liberals -- and when it's from the media, generally becomes definitely. Washington Post political writer Chris Cillizza recently suggested Mitt Romney's general-election strategy should start with getting a "positive first introduction" to voters through the liberal media because "only the national media can provide that megaphone and serve as a sort of validator for him." How hard did he laugh after he wrote that? No Republican should think he could end-run the liberal media establishment entirely and not suffer damage. Ask Dick Cheney. On the other hand, no Republican can...

Wither the Tea Party? A major force in the 2010 midterm elections, the movement has stalled in public popularity, its support well below a majority and decidedly lukewarm. And Americans by a broad 23-point margin say the more they hear about the Tea Party movement, the less they like it, rather than liking it more. That negative buzz has worsened from a 9-point gap in an ABC News/Washington Post poll as the movement was gathering speed two years ago. And its avenues for resurgence may be limited: Interest in learning more about Tea Party is down 7 points from spring...

Call them "born again" undecideds: Republicans exploring bids for the presidency in 2012 have ramped up their religious fervor and sharpened answers to questions about faith in an effort to court social conservative voters in key early primary states. "I believe in God. I am Christian. I think the Bible is certainly, it is 'the' book," real estate mogul Donald Trump told the Christian Broadcasting Network last week after catapulting to second place in a poll of unofficial GOP presidential contenders. But as voters begin to scrutinize the lives of a wide-open field of unofficial GOP presidential contenders, several personal...

In a combative interview on Good Morning America, co-host George Stephanopoulos tried to pin down potential Republican candidate for President Donald Trump on several issues and Trump did not seem to enjoy the interrogation. When Stephanopoulos asked why Trump is still pursuing the issue of President Obama’s birth certificate, Trump responded “you make [the birth certificate] a big focus,” but argued it’s not a big focus of his campaign. However, Stephanopoulos continued on the birth certificate issue until Trump told him that he’s been “co-opted” by “Obama and his minions.” Finally, when Stephanopoulos wanted to know what Trump’s investigators in...

Righteous video from today's Good Morning Amerrica! Trump has to smackdown George Stephanopulishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lD2NcW_zzQ&feature=player_embedded 

2012 Presidential Matchups In a head-to-head matchup among all adults, Obama leads Trump by 12 points, 52-40 percent; Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota by an identical 12 points; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich by 15 points each; and Palin by 17. Closer, as noted, are Huckabee, who trails Obama by 50-44 percent; and Romney, who comes within a scant 4 points, with 45 percent to Obama's 49. Notably, both Romney and Huckabee move numerically ahead of Obama, by 49-44 percent and 48-45 percent, respectively, among independents, the quintessential swing voters in national elections. All...

If Pres. Obama's signal fight in the coming year will be preserving ObamaCare, he can count on at least one ally in his struggle with Republicans: ABC News and in particular its Political Director, Amy Walters. On GMA today, Walters issued a stern warning to Republicans who might have the audacity of hoping to repeal ObamaCare. The segment began with a montage of Republicans vowing to do do, including an oddly mocking replay of a Mitch McConnell moment. Then Walters appeared to announce her admonition. View video after the jump. Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein#ixzz19n7E8yXp

ABC "Good Morning America" anchor George Stephanopoulos will interview President Obama on Thursday's edition of the program. Stephanopoulos is soliciting questions from viewers here. The interview is timed with the announcement of new initiatives meant to stimulate the economy and create new jobs, though given the proximity to the anniversary of 9/11, there is a good chance foreign policy will be a major part of the interview.

Maybe somebody needs to pull back the carpet under that desk. From ABC News: 9/11 Terrorist Tapes Found Under CIA DeskActually, they are not terrorist tapes. They are tapes of 9/11 plotter Ramzi Binalshibh being interrogated. Is ABC trying to say the terror is in the tapes themselves? The two videotapes and one audiotape are believed to be the only remaining recordings made within the clandestine prison system. The tapes depict Binalshibh's interrogation sessions at a Moroccan-run facility the CIA used near Rabat in 2002, several current and former U.S. officials told The Associated Press. They spoke on the condition...

On Tuesday’s World News, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos touted how “we've got a new poll out tonight that shows the Tea Party may be losing steam nationwide” as its unfavorable rating has “gone up eleven points in the last couple of months to 50 percent. Their favorable rating has gone down.” Stephanopoulos and ABC, however, didn’t find time, in multiple stories on the oil leak, to inform viewers how the same ABC News/Washington Post survey, released Tuesday morning, found that by 49 to 44 percent the public disapproves of President Obama's handling of the disaster. In addition, “the number of Americans...

Is Mitt Romney getting all the pieces together for another run at the White House? What seems to many as a forgone conclusion may soon become a reality, with the announcement of Matt Rhoades as executive director for Romney's Free and Strong America PAC. According to an article in Politico, Rhoades, who has served on other presidential campaigns and at the Republican National Committee was communications director for Romney's 2008 run. With the upcoming release and tour for Romney's new book No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, Romney's 2012 intentions may be one of the worst kept secrets in...

2012 Election: Twelve GOP Candidates Who Might Challenge Obama The Pros and Cons of a Dozen Republicans Who Might Run for President in the Next Election By TEDDY DAVIS Jan. 25, 2010 The 2012 presidential election is years away, but there is already a growing crop of Republicans who are toying with the idea of seeking the GOP's presidential nomination. (AP Photo/Reuters)The first test will come April 8-11 when the Southern Republican Leadership Conference will hold a widely attended cattle call in New Orleans, which several potential GOP presidential candidates are expected to attend. ABC News spoke with strategists, Republican...