Legendary Astronauts Awarded Congressional Gold Medals (photos)
• May 3, 2012

Space legends John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were awarded Congressional Gold Medals, the nation’s highest civilian honor, on Wednesday, Nov, 16, 2011. The ceremony was held in the US Capitol Rotunda. Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. Aldrin, pilot of the lunar module, was the second to step foot on the moon. Collins piloted Apollo 11’s command module. Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth.
Click on the icons below to view photos of the event. (All photos by Jeff Malet)

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Manon Cleary Dies at 69
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Unless you were a working, writing, painting, drawing, kibitzing, loving, hanging-out member of the Washington art and gallery scene going back to the 1970s up to now, the name Manon Cleary might not immediately ring your memory bell.

To many interested people, she was something of a rumor, a wispy legend, but to those familiar with the scene and to her friends, students, intimates, her peers, she was a major somebody, a painter who was seen by at least one critic as one of the major and perhaps best figurative painters this city had to offer, perhaps one of the best in the country.

She painted and painted and painted, and her best, most visceral, most literal and haunting was herself and her body—and rats, bye the bye. If ever there was a person, man or woman, who lived the life of the artist in the very best sense of the idea, as well as its most outrageous, dramatic, shining, purposeful, generous sense, it was Cleary, who died at the age of 69 last Saturday, succumbing to her long-time companion, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

It’s easy enough to spy the drama, the aura surrounding her: she was one of those slender, great, long-haired beauties that once met, seem to remain unforgettable, and causing regrets in distant admirers who never got to know her. In her last years, she was forced to move about in public with breathing tubes and oxygen tubes, which turned her into a different presence, a presence which she brought off with remarkable aplomb.

She was a figurative artist class of photo realism but still in a major class by herself. Her subject was life itself, mostly her self—nudes at various stages of her life, with no illusion, bouts of self-flattery. Her work would come out in themes—including one a series of graphic works dealing with her 1996 rape in Kazakhstan. She painted her pet rat(s), white and hungry, she painted male nudes, and she paid skyscapes and erotic flowers that recalled but did not imitate O’Keeffe.

For the past 40 years, she lived in the Beverly Courts Apartments on 18th Street in Adams Morgan, famous in earlier years as a run-down bohemian art magnet, especially because she lived there in a fourth-floor apartment. The façade, the musical, jarring, often painful surface of her life obscured her willingness, indeed, her great passion to help younger artists, protect them; promote them for all of her life. She taught for years at UDC.

If you read the stories about her, from which we’ve drawn this obituary, they seem to sing a lot of songs—a kind of alluring, fragile vitality, a siren song, of a woman with an operatic first name and an Irish-sounding last name. The rats, the friends, the strong and continued output of work made her a Washington original, a kind of scarred patron saint of struggling artists.

I saw her once in 2005 when the Flashpoint Gallery had a showing of photographer Mary Swift’s “The Arts Scene, 1975-2000.” Many survivors—artists, curators, photographers, painters and gallery owners—showed up to see themselves on the wall in younger, halcyon days.

Cleary was there, with breathing tubes and oxygen tank, drawing a crowd with strong eyes and thin body. You went to her like a helpless moth, joining the fringe of a circle around her.

I didn’t know her. I could say though from what I’ve read, from the works I’ve seen, and the time she spent at the exhibition, with certainty that she had great, unspoken courage, brave artist, and brave woman.

Cleary is survived by her husband F. Steven Kijek and a twin sister, an artist who lives in Montana.

Christmas Tree Arrives at the Capitol (photos)
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Christmas arrived early to the US Capitol West Lawn. The 63 foot Sierra white fir from California’s Stanislaus National Forest arrived in DC on Monday morning on November 28, following a 20-day tour across the country. The tree will eventually be decorated with more than 10,000 LED lights and some 2,000 handmade ornaments from the State of California. The lighting ceremony for the 47th Capitol Christmas tree will take place at 5 p.m. Dec. 6, led by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). A Capitol Christmas Tree has been an American tradition since 1964. The Capitol Tree will be lit up until 11 p.m. every night through Jan. 1. In addition to the Capitol Christmas Tree, over 100 companion trees from the same forest will be placed at other Washington DC buildings, such as the Supreme Court, for the holiday season. A 19-foot fir will be set up in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian after being blessed by the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians in a Dec. 5 ceremony.

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Vladimir Potanin Donates $5 Million to Kennedy Center
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Vladimir Potanin is what’s known as a Russian oligarch and billionaire, which is to say he is one of the richest people in Russia and the world.

But don’t let that description mislead you.

Potanin, who founded the Interros Company in 1990 and turned it into one the largest private investment companies in Russia, is also a philanthropist, one of those super-rich folks who likes to give large chunks of his fortune away. He signed on to Bill and Melinda Gates’ “Giving Pledge,” which is a promise to give away half of his money.

In keeping with that, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced last week that Potanin had given a $5 million gift towards the center’s operating and programming budget.

In addition, the Kennedy Center Golden Circle Lounge, on the Box Tier level of the Opera House, will undergo a major renovation this summer, a project that will be founded by the Vladimir Potanin Foundation.

For all that, the Golden Circle Lounge will become the Russian Lounge when it reopens in the fall of 2012, which seems only fair.

Potanin said, “This is such an honor for me to give this gift on the 40th anniversary of the John F. Kennedy Center. I believe the Kennedy Center has been playing a very important role in building strong cultural relations between our countries by presenting the greatest Russian artists to the American people. I’m very grateful for the Kennedy Center and Chairman David M. Rubenstein’s continued support to the Russian Lounge project that we launch today and that is aimed to open new dimensions of Russia to the public. I believe that our cooperation with the Kennedy Center is a natural expansion of the philanthropic activities that we carry out in Russia.”

Among other things, the renovated lounge may include a multimedia zone which highlights Russian culture and museums, as well as feature unique museum collections from the Foundation’s archives.

Reminder: D.C. is Raking Up its Leaves
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Since the Western world discovered America, the east coast’s autumn foliage has been the most ubiquitously adored seasonal harbinger in the country. It is said that crates of golden leaves were sent back to the Queen, for no one could believe the stories of the fiery, radiant landscape that swept across the new world each fall. And while it is impossible to deny the grace of the season’s initial beauty, anyone with a backyard can also attest to the less romantic, rarely discussed late fall tradition of scooping congealed globs of muddy brown tree matter into giant black garbage bags with flimsy, plastic rakes.

We are, of course, talking about leaf collection. But thanks to the D.C. Department of Public Works, many District inhabitants will be relieved of some of the burden.

The Department of Public Works (DPW) began leaf collection last week, Nov. 7, and will continue through Jan. 14. They will be employing vacuum trucks to collect the bulk of the leaves, which are then composted—a much more friendly environmental alternative to having them dragged to the dump. Residents are asked to rake their leaves into piles by the curbside treebox space. DPW will also collect bagged leaves from the treebox space. In neighborhoods with alley trash/recycling collections, bagged leaves also may be placed where trash and recycling are collected, but these leaves will be disposed with the trash.

DPW asks that all leaves be raked into the treebox space the weekend before your street’s collection weeks. Only leaves should be collected, meaning no tree limbs, bricks, dirts, rocks, and the like. It is likely to damage equipment and delay collections. They also urge you to please use the treebox spaces provided, for raking leaves right inot the street is liable to cause parking problems and potentially even fires.

For the complete collection schedule, detailing the dates of collection in each Ward and Ward zone, along with other tips and useful information, visit DPW’s online calendar.

Happy raking!

Franco Nuschese and Cafe Milano: A Singular Philosophy
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Franco Nuschese, 50, custom suit, designer glasses, warm smile. He sits at his desk in his office above Cafe Milano in Georgetown reviewing finances and chatting with his publicist, Jan. He is calm, approachable and chooses tea instead of coffee. It is a serene morning for Nuschese—a time with no fires to put out, a moment of contemplation, a chance to speak openly about his life’s accomplishments and epiphanies.

Cafe Milano, a longtime Washington D.C. landmark known for its Italian hospitality and discretion, still maintains the same air of exclusivity since its opening on Nov. 3, 1992.

Nuschese has devoted the last 19 years to curating a trustworthy team dedicated to upholding the restaurant’s unique fine dining identity in combination with its reputation for celebrity accommodation. A conversation with Nuschese quickly unveils that Cafe Milano is a direct reflection of the man himself — his charm, his welcoming personality and his incredible ability to put people at ease.

But with the recent passing of his father, Giuseppe, and longtime mentor Terry Lanni, Nuschese now approaches a new phase in life: one that involves facing forward without the guidance of those lost. For him, riding on the coattails of the past is not an option. Nuschese speaks enthusiastically of expansion in association with his current company, The Georgetown Entertainment Group, as well as his recent passion in the production and distribution of Italian wine. It is clear he envisions the future with the same child-like energy as the day Cafe Milano opened its doors to the movers and shakers of Washington.

The Georgetowner sat down with Nuschese on a calm winter morning to hear the story of his restaurant, his thoughts on community giving, his opinions on Italian politics and what it takes to create a successful, timeless restaurant.

With Washington’s ever-changing culinary world more active than ever before, Nuschese shared his philosophy on success and discussed how he managed to create an epicurean empire still reigning amid the hills of Georgetown.

The Georgetowner: Through all these years, what has been your secret to maintaining such a high-profile clientele at Cafe Milano?

Franco Nuschese: Mine are a very demanding type of clientele. At all costs, it is my responsibility to ensure they leave happy. Period. My experience of working in Las Vegas, and under those principles, has helped me understand this. I aim to please and, of course, I brought to Washington a familiar idea: “Whatever happens in Vegas …” You know the rest.

GT: Cafe Milano has a flawless reputation, and has survived on top through numerous presidential administrations and Washington’s continually expanding culinary scene. You created a timeless restaurant. How were you able to do that?

FN: It’s simple, believe it or not. You have to give to the people what they want. It’s all about consistency. It is one of the biggest challenges to a restaurant. It’s great to open your doors as a new restaurant owner and feed off the excitement and positive energy of that time, but really it is getting to know your clientele personally. You exist for them. Through promotions and special invitations, it’s easy to get them in once, but the hardest part is to get them to come back on their own.

GT: What must you do in order to get the people to come back?

FN: Consistency. As a restaurant owner, you must spend time up front in designing the right staff to help you with this. In a changing city like Washington, it is about creating that stability. Your staff must be as dedicated as you are to the concept.

GT: Once you are confident with your staff, what else is crucial to giving the people what they want?

FN: A restaurant must have a great vibe. It is my responsibility to foster that atmosphere. People need to feel the vibe bounce from their skin when they walk in. It’s in the simple things: the light in the candles, the bar, the music, the food. The clientele may not be able to put their finger on what it is, but you know because you created it. People come to a restaurant because they want to see and they want to be seen, all the while wanting the privacy they deserve.

When you open a restaurant — or any business for that matter — it is like you are opening your home. You are, in a way, selling yourself. These are your guests, and you have to be a host. You have to make them feel like they’re at home. It is under your roof that your guest wants to bring their best friends, their girlfriends, their colleagues or whatever. In order to be successful, your business needs to be versatile in this way.”

GT: Tell us about opening night at CafeMilano.

FN: (Smiling.) It was a very cold night in November in ‘92. I’ll tell you, it was great. The bar was packed. I must say, in a very humble way of course, I immediately knew what was going to happen.

GT: So, you felt immediately that Cafe Milano would be a success?

FN: I knew it was going to be alright because it is very easy for me to absorb the energy of the people. This is a very important tool for a business owner. One must humble themselves and really value their client and get to the core of their likes and dislikes. That night I saw lobbyists and politicians really enjoying themselves. These people work all day in very conservative and calculated atmospheres. That night, I saw them relax in the atmosphere I created for them. At the time, we only had 52 seats and I knew immediately we would need to expand.

GT: You appeared on the Italian reality show, “Dreaming of Italy,” designed to highlight Italian-Americans who found success in the U.S. So…do you dream of Italy?

FN: I can tell you one thing. I might live in the U.S., but I live like an Italian. From the minute I wake up to the minute I go to sleep.

GT: What does that mean, to wake up in the morning as an Italian in Washington?

FN: I wake up, I have a decaf espresso, I read the Italian paper and watch the Italian news. I also live my life like there’s no tomorrow. As one should.

GT: What are your thoughts on the current state of Italian politics?

FN: I think [former Italian Prime Minister] Silvio Berlusconi was extremely good for Italy. He has been around for 60 years. But, like everything else, times have changed. We cannot afford to do the same things we used to. He has been a great leader and a great entrepreneur, but we needed to turn the page. When it comes to politics and the media, it’s a totally different world now. Facebook and Twitter have changed everything. You cannot get away with anything anymore. Anything you say, anytime, anywhere within seconds becomes public.

GT: So, what will happen to Italy now?

FN: All I know is that if Italy fails, the U.S. fails. There has never been more attention on Italy than there is today. The economy is too big and produces too much. Someone will step in.

GT: You were born in Minori, a tiny town on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. You’ve worked in London and Las Vegas. But you built your empire here in the District. Why Washington?

FN: Well, it’s the center of the universe. Think world politics, business, everything is going through here. And besides, geographically you are close to everything: New York City, Europe, even the Bahamas!

GT: In the past decade, you have received numerous awards for your community partnerships here in Washington. How do you define the importance of community in your business?

FN: I come from a small city where most people do not have the luxury of entrepreneurship. But one thing I did learn, is when you make money you must invest it back into the community. It’s an amazing feeling to be able to do that. A luxury even.

GT: When you look back upon your personal achievements, how do you feel?

FN: (Laughing) Actually, I’m having more fun now than 30 years ago. As an entrepreneur, I was always anxious with the pressure of creating and protecting my business. People will tell you that nothing lasts forever. I never stopped to worry about it, though. Now I don’t even feel like I’m 50. I’m still having such a great time.
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Joseph Robert: A Victorious Life
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By John Fenzel

On Wednesday, Dec. 7, Joseph E. Robert Jr., one of the Washington area’s great philanthropists, passed away after a battle with Glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer that also afflicted Senator Edward Kennedy. News of Robert’s death quickly spread throughout Washington’s circles in quiet, almost reverential tones among the many who knew him.

At Cafe Milano, Steve Delonga pointed at the table against the wall where Robert frequently dined. “Joe was a fighter, a businessman, and friend who left an enduring legacy. He was always busy, always grateful, and always surrounded by people. But across the room, he would see you, smile, and give you a ‘thumbs-up’ sign.”

Robert grew up in a Catholic, middle class family in Silver Spring, Md. And yet in 1970, his penchant for fistfights and ill-advised pranks at St. John’s College High School nearly caused him to drop out altogether. An accomplished athlete, Robert won a regional kickboxing championship in 1973. That same year, while attending Mount Saint Mary’s College, he came forcefully to the aid of a dog being abused, and was promptly expelled for fighting. “While college didn’t exactly work out for Joe,” a high school friend recalled, “the dog he saved stayed with him. That was pretty typical—Joe didn’t stop at ‘rescue.’”

“He always focused on the end game and didn’t get distracted by the tactics involved in getting there,” Michela English, the president and CEO of Robert’s foundation, Fight For Children, said. “He was even more passionate about his charitable causes than business.”

In 1981, Robert began canvassing banks to loan him money to purchase distressed real estate. Most turned him away.

“It was a hard sell, because it was the beginning of the S&L Crisis,” Yankel Ginzburg said. “When conventional wisdom was to stay out of the market, Joe had a different idea.”

Robert ultimately convinced Riggs Bank to agree to the loan.

His first condominiums were in the Beltsville, Md. area. “Joe would come by in person to pick up the rent checks,” Pamela Ginzburg, one of his first tenants, remembered. “He was involved in all aspects of his business. He had an unrivaled work ethic, and he never forgot his first tenants.”

In 1989, when the S&L crisis was at a critical stage, Congress appropriated billions to create the Resolution Trust Corporation. Recognizing an opportunity, Robert formed a parallel association to ensure a role for the private sector.

Several years later, Robert had begun a private equity real estate fund business that ultimately became known as JER Partners, managing assets around the world worth nearly $30 billion.

In 1990, channeling his love for boxing and his desire to help children, Robert started “Fight Night” to help disadvantaged youth. Leveraging his close personal friendships with Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Billy Dee Williams and others, Robert grew his Fight Night and the annual charity event came to attract world renowned boxers to the Washington Hilton Hotel and Towers. Boxing legends like Sugar Ray Leonard, Gerry Cooney, Roberto Duran and Joe Frazier could often be seen ringside with Robert—along with city mayors, Joint Chiefs of Staff, business leaders, and Hollywood celebrities.

The Fight Night event was a formal “men-only” event. Later, Robert began a separate “sister” women-only venue to fight domestic violence called “Knock Out Abuse” at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington. A tradition soon developed for the “Fight Night” men and the “Knock Out Abuse” ladies to convene immediately after the festivities.

“Fight Night” continues to be the premier event for Robert’s signature cause, “Fight For Children,” a foundation he established to improve education and health care opportunities for low income children in Washington, D.C. Since he founded the organization, Fight For Children has directly raised $100 million.

“He didn’t just write checks. He got personally involved so he could really make a difference,” English, said. “No matter how hard we have all tried to prepare for his passing, it is still very difficult to believe that he is no longer with us. It’s not an overstatement to say that tens of thousands of kids in D.C. are better off because of Joe.”

For those who knew him well, Joe Robert’s authenticity was a defining trait. As the chairman of Business Executives for National Security, he once left a White House luncheon for a visiting Chinese president early, so he could read to his son’s kindergarten class. “He had a great sense of humor and never took himself or anyone else too seriously,” English said.

Joe Robert will always be a hero to his family, his friends and to the children who benefited from his generous leadership and positive vision. In his final hours, Robert reportedly could not speak to those who came to see him at his home. “So he smiled and gave everyone a ‘thumbs up’ sign instead,” a close friend said.

John Fenzel is an Army Special Forces Officer stationed in Washington, D.C. [gallery ids="100426,114107,114125,114117" nav="thumbs"]

The Daily Caller: Leaving Bruises
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In the book and then movie Money Ball, a contrarian baseball general manager defies the sport’s orthodoxy to build a winning team, if not a champion team.

Welcome to the journalistic equivalent: the Daily Caller.

Founded by the orthodoxy-dismissing journalist Tucker Carlson, of the old CNN Crossfire, MSNBC and later Dancing with the Stars fame, and his college roommate Neil Patel, the two-year old online publication delights in its sharp elbows and its unconventional style.

Certainly the legacy media reaction – that the Daily Caller is more up-start than Start-Up – couldn’t please its founding figurehead any more. He relishes in discomforting the comfortable, as he did with his hiring six months ago with David Martosko, a man with a blunt style, no formal journalism experience and a track record as a PR hit man for conservative causes. And yet, they both exclaim, look at the numbers. “Somebody out there likes us,” referring to the online unique viewership that has exceeded 3.5 million a month – beating the New Yorker and Vanity Fair.

But what is most interesting about the Caller today is not the is-it-or-is-it-not a right-wing political rag as common consensus proclaims; what is interesting is that it has staked its place on the edge of journalism. From the kinds of stories and the willingness to call out names (the publication is a politically equal-opportunity burner), it has the feeling of a place in a hurry to get some sharper elbows back in the journalism fight.

Its offices in at L and 17 certainly feel like they are in a hurry. The Caller’s home is more bullpen than newsroom, and looks like it was furnished from a used office furniture warehouse, encircled by a few offices and a ping pong room complete with a working keg. It’s the journalistic equivalent of an Internet start-up, which it is – a journalistic Internet-start-up. And just two years in it’s very close to profitability, according to Carlson.

And despite a few regrettable journalistic faux pas, they are pushing themselves onto the dance floor, breaking stories and relishing in doing anything journalistic that will make the old school wince. But in an adamantly journalistic fashion. The focus, editor Martosko says, is to cover politics in a way that non-political junkies will find “compelling.” But the non-journalist Martosko loses that mischievous smile of someone about the pull a prank when he starts to talk about how they do that. While, he says, they are intent on throwing out the old tactics, the Caller is more committed than ever to accuracy and objectivity. Carlson adds “truth and fearless. All, I hope, with a sense of humor.”

Many are not buying it and question the Caller’s term, “objectivity,” (they milked the Congressman Weiner story in a way some called unseemly) and some complain their headlines tend towards the National Enquirer. Tucker dismisses the criticism with “the beauty of journalism is everyone gets to judge and vote with a cursor. And our traffic keeps going up.”

But perhaps the biggest mark they may be arriving at is a recent long, critical article that appeared in the new Beltway bible – the Politico. Better to be attacked than ignored.

There have been mistakes, and Carlson says there will likely be more but they try to correct them as quickly as possible. But so far there have been none of the cataclysmic journalistic disasters of the type that have befallen the Post and the Times over the years and which many in the traditionalist ranks hope befall the Caller.

Some pointed out the staff turnover when Martosko arrived as a sign of real journalists fleeing the sinking ship, but in many ways the former PR-maven seems to embody exactly what Carlson is trying to do. Martosko brings that “make sure it grabs attention” ethos from PR and a guerrilla mentality that the Caller needs to produce more, more quickly. He proudly points at the near empty bullpen as evidence that he reporters and editors are out reporting. (An author’s note – The Daily Caller is a client of the Medill Graduate School of Journalism’s DC News Service where ATM is a professor.)

And Carlson is just getting started. His self-professed grandiose goal is to replace the media that is dying – the average daily newspaper that is “crap.” And this fall, the Caller staffed up a video team that it hopes will add videos as pugilistic as its words.

There are no checked swings from this ball team, and it’s not clear whether Carlson or Martosko would mind if some furniture got broken in the process.

Author’s note: The Daily Caller is a client of the Medill Graduate School of Journalism’s DC News Service where Amos Gelb is a professor.

The Georgetowner’s Photo Competition
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BECOME The Georgetowner’s next photography contest WINNER!

Submit up to five photographs taken anywhere in Georgetown. The coolest, most incredible, eye-catching, blow-us-away photograph will WIN THE FRONT COVER of our publication.

Deadline for photograph submissions is: January 4, 2012

We look forward to seeing your photos!

The Romney Machine
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By the time anyone reads this, the New Hampshire Primary for the Republican Presidential Nomination will be over, unless its closer than the Iowa Caucus, in which eight votes separated winner Mitt Romney and runner-up Rick Santorum.

Romney should come out on top, on the way to his seemingly obligatory nomination—unless the quirky New Hampshire political Gods decided to intervene. Romney had a 20-point lead over his rivals and was rolling.
And yet, something seems to be sticking in the collective Republican craw. There is no joy in the GOP version of Mudville. Mighty Romney has failed to strike a chord, even though the words ‘inevitable,’ ‘easy to understand,’ and ‘hard to stomach,’ seem to be attaching themselves to him.

Consider the recent GOP doubleheader, the two debates before the primary within ten hours of each other.
The first, on prime time television on Saturday night with only an NFL playoff game for real competition, offered national viewers of all political stripes a chance to look at what’s left of the slowly winnowing and wavering GOP presidential field. (Michelle Bachman, once the tea party’s darling, conceded that the Iowa voters had spoken and they weren’t talking about her, and dropped out without so much as a tearful farewell).
The two debates—the first a Hound of Baskerville type of occasion in which the anti-Romney dogs didn’t bark—offered some thumbnail pictures of the candidates, and what appears to be of concern to GOP voters, even though almost every prospective voter interviewed by the army of media types covering New Hampshire indicated their main concern was jobs.

Did any of the candidates talk about a secret, previously undisclosed plan to create jobs? Did the candidates trailing the front-runner set on him like a pack of wolves? No to either case.

They talked about gay marriage, they talked about Iran—sort of—they talked about service in the military, they talked about abortion, they talked about contraception. The trailing candidates took swipes at each other but, strangely, not at Romney. That changed the next morning, possibly because Newt Gingrich, Santorum, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman and Rick Perry suddenly realized that they were in the 11th hour of the New Hampshire primary.

The thing about Romney on both occasion, and almost any occasion, is that he looks presidential. Sometimes he’s doing his Reagan-in-blue-jeans thing, but most often he’s smiling in a suit. He looks like a man who is used to wealth and success, a businessman and a seasoned politician, always smiling, not a hair out of place.
With Herman Cain and Bachman out of the race, the party on the podium retains a certain one-dimensionality. Scanning the audience during the ABC debate, managed by George Stephanopoulos and Diane Sawyer, you’d never get a hint of American diversity.

Romney won by default—nobody laid a glove on him—as the irrepressible Paul, who is about as much a Republican as I am, laid into Gingrich for backing foreign wars when he never served himself. Paul remembered serving even though he was married with children at the time. But the dais was strangely quiet when Gingrich rambled on with great passion about the defense of marriage act, about the “sacrament of marriage” and the Obama administration’s attack on Christianity and religion. This devotion to the sanctity of marriage as defined by a man and a woman was stated with a straight face—for a moment some of us thought he might sniffle again—but coming from the oft-married Gingrich, this was a farcical performance.
Romney never answered a question directly and pursued what’s beginning to sound like a general campaign theme—GOP meritocracy vs. Obama entitlements. This campaign, he said, is a “battle for the soul of America,” which could be a tough fight for the smooth, polished, slick Romney machine. Let’s face it, Romney is running a rather soulless campaign.

The following day, after his pious baloney rant on the sanctity of marriage, Gingrich went after Romney with a demand to “cut this pious baloney.”

Romney had actually attacked Huntsman, the highly successful former Utah governor and fellow Mormon, for working with Obama as Ambassador to China. Huntsman who refused to attack Romney even when invited by Sawyer to take a shot, finally took it the next morning, saying Romney’s attack was the kind of thing that divided America.

Those early-morning back-and-forths may not change things. For the trailing candidates, survivability was the issue in New Hampshire—finish second or in double digits so you can carry on the fight. For Santorum, the hope is that the next stop in South Carolina, where social conservatives and Evangelist Christians are strong, will prove a more fertile ground for him.

Governor Nikki Haley, another tea party fave, has already endorsed Romney, thus entering the VP sweepstakes with the increasingly omnipresent New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Christie, popular with the media and the tea party, made another campaign appearance for Romney in New Hampshire, this time not trying to joke like Tony Soprano.

Can anybody stop Romney? Not in the GOP. But out there in the coming general election, where the volatility of the economy and the great wide world are daily factors, the outcome is up in the air.