Telling: Newt's critics shut up  —  Newt Gingrich's critics within the GOP are legion, but for the moment they're also something else: quiet.  —  They all remember the last time Gingrich held power, as House speaker: the bombast, the reckless personal life, the arrogance and lack of discipline that bordered on dangerous.

Send in the Clueless  —  There are two crucial things you need to understand about the current state of American politics.  First, given the still dire economic situation, 2012 should be a year of Republican triumph.  Second, the G.O.P. may nonetheless snatch defeat from the jaws of victory — because Herman Cain was not an accident.

Gingrich Surges, but Romney Organization Is Stronger  —  Surging in polls is one thing.  But as Newt Gingrich seeks to turn his impressive performance in surveys into votes, he is scrambling madly to build the kind of organization that Mitt Romney has methodically put in place for a year …

Biden jokes Gingrich inflates his importance  —  Vice President Joe Biden took a shot at Republican frontrunner Newt Gingrich while meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday, signaling the extent to which the former Speaker of the House has muscled his way back into serious contention for the presidency.

Rove says RNC should ‘discourage’ Trump-moderated debate  —  GOP veteran strategist Karl Rove said Monday the head of the Republican National Committee should step in to “discourage” presidential candidates from attending the upcoming debate moderated by Donald Trump.

Zuccotti Park owners Brookfield Properties owe city $139G in back taxes  —  Heineken, WNBA and Philadelphia Eagles also on debtors list  —  Zuccotti Park, scene of the Occupy Wall St. protests, is owned by a company that owes city thousands in back taxes.  —  City taxpayers have poured millions …