Kevin Drum cites this NYTimes article:

President Obama and his campaign aides are facing a conundrum as they decide how to tarnish the man they see as their likely opponent in the battle ahead. Do they go the flip-flopper route? Or do they go the out-of-touch, protector-of-Wall-Street route?

After a very intelligent description of how the GOP race is likely to unfold (shorter: It's over and Romney is well positioned to remain an acceptable "anti-Obama"), Kevin then writes "if [Obama] has to choose, my guess is that he should forget about the flip-flopping and simply do everything he can to force Romney into the wingnut conservative camp." I prefer the NYTimes' formulation - "out-of-touch, protector-of-Wall-Street." I would add that I would tar Romney with the foibles of the entire GOP, which he has endorsed, more or less, in the primary campaign (think "ending Medicare as we know it.")

But most of this will be using Romney as a foil to define Obama as a champion of working Americans and against the excesses of the 1%. Since August, President Obama has been excellent in this regard in my view. As I commented yesterday, since August, Obama and his team have engaged in excellent politics. Yesterday's recess appointment of Richard Cordray to head the CFPB is another case in point-- a wonderful fight to pick with Republicans. Part of the timing I think is to goad Romney into denouncing the CFPB in a prominent way- to highlight the 1% vs. 99% argument.

In any event, I think the Obama reelection campaign is off to a good start. Sure, better policies would be preferable. But nothing good is going to happen in terms of policy for a while, given GOP control of the Congress.

Speaking for me only

More than 159,000 signatures were delivered to the Colorado Secretary of State today for the statewide legalization of marijuana initiative. Only 86,500 signatures are needed to get the initiative on the 2012 ballot.

The initiative is the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act of 2012, available here.

In a nutshell,

The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act of 2012 makes the adult use of marijuana legal, establishes a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol, and allows for the cultivation of industrial hemp.

If enacted, Colorado will be the first state to legalize adult marijuana use and possession. For more, go to Regulate Marijuana.

Via the Denver Post: An interesting case in federal court in Colorado: The feds seize a computer pursuant to a search warrant. But when they try to access the data, it's encrypted. Can the court force the computer owner who is now a criminal defendant, to unlock the data?

Ramona Fricosu and her ex-husband Scott Whatcott are indicted for bank fraud arising from an alleged mortgage scam in Colorado Springs. The feds say the incriminating evidence is on the seized computer.

The Government is asking the Court, under the authority of the All Writs Act, to force Ms. Fricosu to unlock the data. [More...]

Michelle Bachman, who came in 6th in the Iowa caucuses, has ended her campaign.

Here are the final Iowa caucus tallys. Romney won by 8 votes over Santorum.

Update: Rick Perry is staying in -- he's counting on South Carolina.

The Iowa nonsense is over. New Hampshire will be a cakewalk. Erick Erickson hates Romney. Newt is gonna scorch the Earth. Does any of it matter? No.

Mitt Romney is running as the acceptable anti-Obama. He may not be the favored candidate of extreme Republicans (chew on that phrase for a moment), but they aren't voting for Obama. The attacks on him will drive down his favorables, but he's not running to win, he is running to have Obama lose.

Whatever flaws Romney has as a political candidate, it is hard to see how he will not be considered as an acceptable alternative by those inclined to vote against Obama.

Like Jeralyn, I find the GOP primary to be boring. And once Perry imploded, it turned out to be irrelevant - Romney was and is going to be the nominee. And now nothing that happens will matter to November. That is a race that will be decided by the economy and Obama. Obama can lose the election. But Romney can't win it. In other words, the most important factors for the November election have almost nothing to do with Mitt Romney. Other than being the acceptable "Obama alternative" vessel, Romney is irrelevant to this election.

Speaking for me only

Update 10:30 pm: Rick Perry suspends campaign due to poor Iowa results. Newt is in 4th place, Romney and Santorum are tied for the lead. McCain will endorse Romney tomorrow in New Hampshire.

The overhyped Iowa caucuses are underway. Will Romney, Ron Paul or Santorum win?

I cared enough about the Iowa caucuses in 2008 to get credentialed, travel to Iowa and attend. Here's my live-blog of what it was like. Here's a photo of the people at the caucus I attended.

This year I find the attention on Iowa baffling and absurd. Maybe it's because it's only about Republicans. Or maybe it's because they really don't matter.

In any event, CBS is predicting a three-way race between Mitt Romney, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum.

For those who enjoyed my sweating over my sports investment last night, you won't get another chance tonight, as I am traveling. But, you can laugh at me without the pointing as I invested in the Wolverines (-3) over Va Tech (10 units.) I know, I know, the BIG in a bowl game? But I like this Michigan team and don't think much of Va Tech.

Open Thread.

It's the final night the long holiday weekend. Aside from the Iowa caucuses which I have no interest in, there's not much to write about.

There's also little on TV, other than the premiere of The Bachelor, starring Ben from last year's totally boring season with Ashley. I think this season will be another dud, but I'll watch anyway. After 16 seasons, the formula has become dated and predictable. I wish they'd try something new.

Colorado is getting $400 million from the NDAA, with a big chunk for electronic surveillance. $70 million will go for construction of a new NSA building at Buckley Air Force Base:

The NSA building at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora will cost a total of $141 million to complete. It will provide space for 850 people whose offices are now in temporary buildings.

Buckley is home to a large contingent of secretive agencies, including the NSA and the National Reconnaissance Office​; the Aerospace Data Facility-Colorado; Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine intelligence and information units; and Marine and Coast Guard cryptologic units.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

The picks:

Houston -7½ over Penn State (3 units), Georgia -3 over Michigan St. (3 units), South Carolina -3 over Nebraska (5 units), Oregon -6 over Wisconsin (3 units).

My best bet of many years was discussed weeks ago - Oklahoma State (-3) over Stanford (50 units.) Today the line is -5.

Go Gators!

Open Thread.

Most New Year's Days, we'd be preparing to watch a day of college football. But Sundays are ruled by the NFL. The bowl games have been moved to tomorrow.

Tim Tebow faces a make or break game for the Broncos, and I suspect, for his career. While it seems likely Tebow will get the starting nod for the Broncos next year, if he wins today, advancing the Broncos into the playoffs, he probably gets the whole season.

That's a lot of pressure and the Broncos also have to deal with the fact that they unnecessarily handed the Chiefs their QB for today, Kyle Orton. That was a pretty inexcusable move by Elway and I am a bit surprised that more is not being made of it in Denver. While Orton is a terrible QB in pressure situations, when nothing is on the line, he can be good. The Chiefs and Orton have nothing to lose so I expect they will play well. And win.

Which means that whether the Raiders give up ANOTHER 1st round pick for Carson Palmer depends on the Chargers and Phillip Rivers saving the Raiders from themselves. Cuz if the Raiders make the payoffs, they get bounced in the 1st round and lose another 1st round pick. Since it is the Raiders, that is what is going to happen. Raiders beat the Chargers.

The big game to night is Giants-Cowboys. I think the Cowboys win.

Open Thread.

It's already 2012 in Auckland, Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Dubai and celebrations are underway. From Sydney:

Sydney's harbour erupted in a blaze of colour and light on the stroke of midnight on Saturday with a 12-minute pyrotechnic display drawing more than 1.5 million people to crowded foreshores and city landmarks.

Times Square is expecting a million people -- many of whom have already arrived.

What's on your agenda for this evening? I'm cooking lasagne. Whether you are out celebrating or avoiding the noise and crowds, we wish you all a happy, healthy, prosperous, freedom-filled New Year.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

President Obama today signed into the National Defense Authorization Act, which contains the controversial and objectionable provisions on indefinite detention and restrictions on transfers of detainees from Guantanamo. He issued a signing statement with it that doesn't ameliorate the damage.

The ACLU says:

While President Obama issued a signing statement saying he had “serious reservations” about the provisions, the statement only applies to how his administration would use the authorities granted by the NDAA, and would not affect how the law is interpreted by subsequent administrations.

[More...]