Mitt Romney

At an event in Washington, D.C. this evening, Paul Ryan asked Marco Rubio, "Know any good diners in Iowa or New Hampshire?" The reference, of course, is to the first state to hold a primary contest (the Iowa Caucus) and the first to in the nation to hold a primary election (New Hampshire).

According to an Israeli newspaper, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, the current mayor of Chicago, blasted Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for betting "on the wrong man" in the last presidential election. The allegation is that Netanyahu supported Mitt Romney in the election, and not the ultimate winner--President Barack Obama. 

Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum says he is “open” to another run for president in 2016. Santorum was asked about a possible presidential campaign Monday at THE WEEKLY STANDARD. 

“I’m open to it, yeah,” Santorum replied. “I think there’s a fight right now as to what the soul of the Republican party’s going to be and the conservative movement, and we have something to say about that. I think from our battle, we’re not going to leave the field.” 

At this year's annual turkey pardoning event at the White House, President Barack Obama took a jab at Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Ryan Streeter writes:

With the election over, President Barack Obama lavished praise on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at today's press briefing:

Robert Robb writes:

Romney's principal issues were the economy and fixing the finances of the federal government. He failed to make a convincing case that he would do a better job with either.

In today's New York Times, Ross Douthat begins the debate, and, in my judgment, very much points in the right direction.

Yuval Levin, writing for National Review Online:

At Real Clear Politics, Tom Bevan and Carl Cannon rightly note that “[Mitt] Romney’s selection of Paul Ryan cheered fiscal and social conservatives within the Republican Party and provided a much needed shot in the arm for Romney’s campaign.”