W/ Romney more than an hour late (but now speaking), dozens of people stuck in the cold, begging staffers to leave, use the bathroom…

— Michael Barbaro (@mikiebarb) November 4, 2012

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“I’ve struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God. And even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.” —Indiana GOP Senate nominee Richard Mourdock, making us devoutly wish that God intends something to happen to him. [TPM]

“Romney’s advisers have a simple strategy: They want their candidate to balance his finely tuned arguments with personal warmth.” [NRO]

Sun Myung Moon, self-proclaimed messiah who founded Unification Church, dies at age 92 [AP/WaPo]

The Rev. Benedict Groeschel, Catholic TV star, on the Priest’s Dilemma: “People have this picture in their minds of a person planning to — a psychopath. But that’s not the case. Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster — 14, 16, 18 — is the seducer.” [ABC, via TPM]

Todd Akin:

I misspoke.

Dana Loesch:

Progressive backlash from Roman Polanski fans and deniers of Occupy rapes was immediate.

William A. Jacobson:

Dana Loesch was almost alone is saying, hold on a second, give the guy some time to clarify and don’t hold him to a standard Democrats are not held to until that clarification comes. Which it has. Loesch also pointed out that making a stupid statement is not the same as Claire McCaskill tanking the economy and voting for Obamacare.

Jim Hoft:

Yesterday Christian Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) misspoke on rape during an interview with liberal media host Charles Jaco. Akin immediately corrected himself.

Robert Stacy McCain:

It looks like the Left has another Alinsky Rule 12 play underway.

Our guest columnist makes up in gall what he lacks in caffeine.

Friend,

As we gather to enjoy food and fireworks today, let us also take a moment to pay tribute to the patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence — and the brave men and women who have fought to protect our freedoms through every generation that has followed.

I’m incredibly grateful to be an American. And from now until November, my campaign will carry this simple but deeply patriotic message: America’s greatest days are still ahead.

Happy Fourth of July to you and your family.

Thanks,

Mitt Romney

P.S. Show us how you honor our most patriotic holiday. Download the With Mitt iPhone app here and tag your July 4th photos with #WithMitt and we’ll feature them on our site.

[via email]