Following last night’s heated Republican debate, GOP presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann chatted with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, taking some time to directly address campaign rival Tim Pawlenty‘s claim that she reminds him of President Barack Obama (if you’re just joining us after a lengthy sojourn on another planet: this was neither meant nor taken as a compliment), as well as his attacks on her record of accomplishments.

Perhaps the most heated exchanges of tonight’s Fox News debate happened 20 minutes into the show, and, shockingly enough, it involved some sharp barbs from typically placid Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty. Moderator Chris Wallace, perhaps noting that Iowa was Pawlenty’s to lose to Rep. Michele Bachmann, turned the two against each other, resulting in an exchange where Rep. Bachmann called Pawlenty “a lot like President Obama,” only to have her “record of distorting facts and misstatements” thrown back at her.

To Rick Santorum, gay and straight marriage are as different as paper towels and napkins, according to an analogy he employed at a campaign stop in Iowa. In his “Rewrite” segment tonight, Lawrence O’Donnell found this comparison to be “the American politician at his worst,” trying to relate to real Americans who probably, like O’Donnell, use napkins and paper towels interchangeably all the time.

Former American ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton is running for president. This was, for some time, a rumor in certain circles, but Bolton had kept himself out of the spotlight for so long that many had forgotten he was even a potential Republican contender. It turns out eight months or so of other people gallivanting around as Republican hopefuls was enough to bring him out of the woodwork, however, with the most thinly-veiled presidential announcement since the time Tim Pawlenty mistakenly let Piers Morgan in on a little secret.

Given the sort of Game Change-esque drama in the Gingrich and Huntsman camps, the fact that this passes for controversy for Tim Pawlenty is likely a good sign. The Pawlenty campaign sent out a press release yesterday linking to what they considered favorable press from the Des Moines Register, attributing to Pawlenty a “winsome personality” and impressive resume. Missing from the press release? The anecdote that opens the piece, of the Republican presidential candidate ripping the pants off the Minnesota House Speaker.

Cable news coverage of current (and potential) GOP candidates has been constant and self-fulfilling; the media’s declared frontrunners have predictably garnered the most coverage, and the “longshot” candidates have been covered far less, while all three cable news networks have been covering the GOP candidates in roughly the same proportions. Analyzing the specific mentions of candidates on all three major cable news network, however, reveals that MSNBC has dedicated more coverage to the GOP White House hopefuls than Fox News and CNN.

In a statement so rich, Republicans are refusing to tax it, GOP presidential can’tidate Tim Pawlenty (R-The Drain) rhetorically asked CNN’s Candy Crowley of President Obama, “Is he chicken?”

This is the same Tim Pawlenty (R-KFC), you may recall, who refused to repeat his criticism of rival Mitt Romney during a GOP presidential debate in June. Pawlenty also asked, “If you’re the leader of the free world, would you please come to the microphone, and quit hiding in the basement?”

The fundraising race on the Republican side in anticipation for 2012 has claimed several victims in the past few weeks, in, as Jon Stewart joked, “what will definitely be called the most important election of our lifetime,” but few have adequately depicted the swift elimination of each with the violence it deserves. Stewart made up for that tonight, sending off candidates with mini wildlife films after mercilessly tearing them apart for their mistakes.

Tim Pawlenty as 2011 has come to know him is a pretty even-tempered guy: that is to say, about as milquetoast as they come. But he has shown a sense of humor, drawling out Tiger Woods jokes and enthusiastically (well, enthusiastically for Tim Pawlenty) gushing about Lady Gaga‘s oeuvre. Perhaps the national spotlight has kept his sense of humor in check, or the heightened sensory ability of the 24/7, Twitter-driven news cycle to catch off-color jokes has warded him off them, because he was delivering punchline after awkward punchline to Hannity & Colmes in 2008.

Most polls indicate the clear frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination is Mitt Romney, and now a lengthy report from ABC News’ Shushannah Walshe reveals some of the strategy inside the Romney team that has helped transform him into a fundraising machine. In the last quarter Romney raised more than all of his other primary rivals combined, and even despite the money differential, the report suggests Romney isn’t really fearing any of his competition.

Last night, in an unlikely occurrence, liberal Ed Schultz strongly defended conservative presidential candidate Michele Bachmann from the recent “right-wing hit job” on her, and even admitted that he now respects her immensely for not being bullied by the establishment of the Republican party. The reported allegations that Bachmann “pops pills like candy” and suffers from incapacitating migraines was, according to Schultz, a non-story “so heavy on insinuation and light on specifics.”

Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty is eager to add some excitement back to his campaign, and this morning on Meet the Press he may have found just the ticket: going on the attack. In Pawlenty’s crosshairs was fellow presidential candidate Michele Bachmann who Pawlenty dismissed as having no successes in Congress that would make her more worthy than him of being elected President.

It is difficult for a commentator like Rachel Maddow to explain the current climate in the Republican Party, so last night she went to explanation by way of analogy. There was a time when KKK leader David Duke won a Republican primary– against incumbent Republican governor of Louisiana Buddy Roemer. Roemer is running in 2012 for President and, yes, Duke is considering it, too. This, Maddow argues, is a product of the same Republican “crackpottery” that brought us the infamous Iowa pledge Rep. Michele Bachmann signed yesterday.

Turns out that Bill O’Reilly isn’t the only high-profile conservative whom Lady Gaga can count among her legions of “little monsters.” GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty is also a fan.

Pawlenty (or “T-Paw,” if you’re so inclined) opened up about his admiration for the singer’s talent after asking a trio of reporters in Ames, Iowa about their favorite Lady Gaga songs.

In a blistering op-ed in The Des Moines Register, a former chief of staff to Michele Bachmann says his former boss is “decidedly” unprepared for the presidency, and he urges Iowa voters to join him in supporting Tim Pawlenty. “Having seen the two of them, up close and over a long period of time, it is clear to me that while Tim Pawlenty possesses the judgment, the demeanor, and the readiness to serve as president, Michele Bachmann decidedly does not,” writes Ron Carey, a former chairman of the Republican Party in Minnesota.

With Michele Bachmann being described as the GOP frontrunner in Iowa, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty dimissed early polling that’s put the Republican presidential candidate in the single digits in Iowa, and promised he’d be a real contender. In an interview on NBC’s TODAY, “the reality is, at this point Mike Huckabee was at four percent, we’re at six percent, and he ended up winning the Iowa caucuses, so there’s plenty of time to do well in Iowa and beyond.”

With the 2012 elections drawing ever nearer, Karl Rove has made his prediction official: no matter who wins the Republican primary, Barack Obama is losing. On last night’s O’Reilly Factor, host Juan Williams tried to remind Rove that the Republican field is weak, at best, but received only an earful as to why President Obama is a failure with no chance of winning another four years in the White House.

Before we know it, the 2012 election will be upon us. Unfortunately though, the field of GOP candidates has yet to narrow itself down. With so many hopefuls in the running, how is one supposed to learn anything personal about who these great men and women really are? I mean, there are only so many [...]

It’s official: the anti-Republican presidential glitter protest has now become a national epidemic. After a speech during today’s Right Online conference in Minnesota, a lone protester approached the stage from which Rep. Michele Bachmann was descending and shouted “you can run, but you can’t hide!” at the Republican presidential candidate while tossing some sort of paper in her general direction. It was, to say the least, anticlimactic.

The baptism by glitter trend that began with a gay activist dumping shiny bits of paper onto Newt Gingrich was initially warmly received by almost everyone, partly due to the fact that it was perfectly timed into Newt Gingrich’s Week from Hell and also involved large amounts of glitter. By the time Code Pink hijacked the idea and went after Tim Pawlenty, however, the mood began to sour. And now Mike Huckabee is full-throatedly calling for the arrest of any and all glitterers.

Minnesota governor and 2012 presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty appeared on Hannity last night to talk about his debate performance Monday. Many believed he missed an opportunity to go after Mitt Romney for his past health care positions, and Pawlenty conceded he could have been more aggressive in making that point during the debate. On Fox [...]

Uh oh. Now Tim Pawlenty is getting the Newt Gingrich treatment. No, his campaign staff didn’t leave. No, his phone didn’t accidentally show off his questionable music choice. And, no, his campaign materials weren’t mocked by the Trinity Killer. (Man, Gingrich has had a really tough month) What did happen is that, like Gingrich, Pawlenty found himself covered in glitter thanks to some gay rights activists.

Last night’s Republican primary debate on CNN scored in the ratings but both candidates and organizers alike received criticism for organization and quality of answers. Tonight, Jon Stewart weighed in on debate’s overuse of technology, the weirdest answers, and winners and losers of the debate.

Last night’s CNN debate got its fair share of criticism for being a bit jagged around the edges, but Bill O’Reilly put its faults in perhaps the most comically concise words possible. O’Reilly spent his “Talking Points Memo” tonight complaining that he had no idea who was asking the questions during the debate, got no meaningful answers, and was baffled by the overuse of technology.

A little over four months after stepping down as White House Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs stepped back into the spotlight Tuesday morning for a spot of Morning Joe. Discussing Monday night’s CNN Republican primary debate, Gibbs took a few well-placed shots at contenders Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, declared Michele Bachmann the victor, and talked about some of the challenges that President Obama faces in his reelection bid. Given his skills with a political knife, it was a soft rollout of Gibbs 2.0.