How low can he go?  —  Everyone has probably heard the corny “I once caught a fish this big” joke.  A guy boasts about the size of the fish he reeled in, but when pressed, he gradually reduces the actual size of his catch.  The little comedic routine is about exaggeration.  —  I wonder if Mitt Romney has heard it.

Report: Rick Perry calls on a mannequin at SC town hall  —  Rick Perry mistakenly called on a mannequin with its hand raised at a town-hall event Friday in South Carolina.  —  The female mannequin was wearing a T-shirt advertising Squat N' Gobble, the restaurant where the incident took place, according to the Los Angeles Times.

First Thoughts: Best of times (and worst of times) for Romney  —  NBC's David Gregory talks to TODAY's Matt Lauer about whether fierce attacks on Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney will backfire against his rivals or stop what seems to be Romney's inevitable march to the nomination.

New poll in S.C. indicates tight race for top spot  —  (CNN) - With eight days to go until the South Carolina primary, a new poll suggests a close contest in the first southern state to vote in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.  —  According to an American Research Group …

Obama seeks more power to merge agencies, streamline government  —  President Obama asked Congress on Friday for the power to consolidate parts of the federal government, proposing a first step of merging several trade- and commerce-related agencies under a plan that the White House …

Correcting the Progressive Spin on My Defense of the Marines  —  Yesterday on my radio show I discussed the topic of the Marines videotaping themselves urinating on dead Taliban fighters.  The usual mob of progressive haters started campaigning on Twitter and complaining to CNN.  —  Video still