“An adviser to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign defended the candidate’s ‘kind impulses’ on Friday, pointing to his treatment of Texas Gov. Rick Perry during recent GOP debates as proof.” [The Hill]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urjn5CjVbak

It’s not news that Mitt Romney was a vicious asshole as an 18-year-old boarding-school student in 1965. It’s not even character-defining, although we’ll admit to amusement that Mitt was a pro-Establishment college protester the next year. The reason Mitt’s dog story has legs is that he was a thirtysomething adult when he strapped Seamus to the roof of the family station wagon. And Mitt was a fortysomething adult when he stuffed his suit with money for a celebratory Bain photo. The clock on Youthful Indiscretion starts running out after 25.

Mitt is 65 now. And you would think, when confronted by a story from the distant past vouched by multiple classmates, that he would have a better response than this:

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Pareene has the best takedown of Jonah Goldberg I’ve seen thus far:

Goldberg’s also a master at avoiding serious challenges to his half-formed opinions. In 2009, TBogg documented more than 40 instances of Goldberg evading arguments or declining to elaborate on points he’d made by invoking some rapidly approaching deadline. (Sample: “This has been discussed endlessly in the Corner and elsewhere. I’m on a deadline so I’m not going to wade too deeply into it.”) Other popular excuses in the Goldberg list of reasons he’s unable to respond to criticism have included working on his books, taking his children to and/or from school and/or the doctor, and being late for something.

His mother must be so proud.

Our guest columnist has been choking in her Swiss Miss all week.

Today I sent a letter to the Swiss Consulate requesting withdrawal of my dual Swiss citizenship, which was conferred upon me by operation of Swiss law when I married my husband in 1978.

I took this action because I want to make it perfectly clear: I was born in America and I am a proud American citizen. I am, and always have been, 100 percent committed to our United States Constitution and the United States of America. As the daughter of an Air Force veteran, stepdaughter of an Army veteran and sister of a Navy veteran, I am proud of my allegiance to the greatest nation the world has ever known.

Bachmann moves to withdraw Swiss citizenship [Minnesota Public Radio, via Blogenfreude]

Bristol Palin issues a silent cry for help:

While it’s great to listen to your kids’ ideas, there’s also a time when dads simply need to be dads. In this case, it would’ve been helpful for him to explain to Malia and Sasha that while her friends parents are no doubt lovely people, that’s not a reason to change thousands of years of thinking about marriage. Or that — as great as her friends may be — we know that in general kids do better growing up in a mother/father home. Ideally, fathers help shape their kids’ worldview.

Perhaps it’s time to start a Kickstarter campaign for Tripp’s therapy.

Hail to the Chiefs – Malia and Sasha Obama [Patheos]

[Time]

“The Justice Department finally filed suit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, accusing the Arizona official of engaging ‘in a pattern or practice of unlawful discriminatory police conduct directed at Latinos in Maricopa County.'” [TPM]